Seanad debates

Tuesday, 18 November 2008

Death of Member: Expressions of Sympathy

 

3:00 pm

Photo of Joe O'TooleJoe O'Toole (Independent)

It is my privilege on behalf of the Independent benches chun cúpla focal molta agus cuimhneacháin a rá mar gheall ar fhear a thug a shaol ar son réimse polaitíochta na tíre seo. Is mór an phribhléid dom ómós a thabhairt d'fhear a bhí i gconaí ag obair chun aidhmeanna polaitíochta na tíre a chur chun cinn. Is mór an trua é gur tógadh uainn Séamus agus é chomh hóg.

I first met Séamus Brennan way back before I had any involvement in politics. It was 1968 at a party in Galway with some of my family. I met this young man who was involved in Fianna Fáil. Some 15 years or more after that when the discussion on the Progressive Democrats was taking place I met one of the people who was at that party and said I wondered whether Seamie Brennan would jump to the Progressive Democrats. The answer came back quickly that no way would it happen because Fianna Fáil was in his blood and he would never walk away from it. Those were very sincere words.

Ba fear é, gan amhras, ó iarthar na tíre, and he brought that west of Ireland attitude — can do, survive, move it on — with him nuair a tháinig sé isteach i saol polaitíochta na tíre seo. He had those great qualities that trade unionists appreciate more than anything else. If Fianna Fáil ever writes the ballad of Séamus Brennan it will be to say that he "went on to organise". He understood the importance of organising more than any trade unionist I ever met. He was committed to restructuring, remarketing, recreating and bringing forward a new approach, and this was the measure of the man at all times.

He had extraordinary skills of negotiation and mediation which are the essence of development and creativity. He showed that time and again in dealing with the Progressive Democrats, the Labour Party and the Green Party on behalf of Fianna Fáil. He put matters in context, always opened things up and has left an extraordinary legacy. He will be remembered as a person who understood the importance of structures, marketing, being a tactician and strategist in political life and, above all, continually changing, refining and advancing the techniques that were important to remain at the top of the tree. That is how he will be remembered. If anyone takes the trouble to make a biopic, that will come through.

I always found him to be courteous and approachable. Politics was in his blood as he went through the political steps of party general secretary, Member of Seanad Éireann, Deputy in the Lower House and Minister. That was his commitment and he was always going to achieve it. Over the years I found him a man with whom one could engage. Many times we on these benches opposed him. At other times we supported things he did. I remember having vicious arguments with him on the establishment of Ryanair when he gave away the Stansted slots and the Geneva and Liverpool routes, which were among the first Aer Lingus routes, to Ryanair to get it started. They were strategic and important issues. He and I differed fundamentally about the Green Paper on education which he produced as Minister for Education in 1992. However, that was the essence of his political life. Politics is about creative difference, argument and engagement. That was always to be done and one could always engage with him. His loyalty to his party was unwavering; it was 100% at all times.

I began by alluding to Joe Hill and we might finish with the words: "Where [Fianna Fáil] defend[s its] rights, it's there you find [Séamus Brennan]." He will never be far from that discussion, wherever it should take place. We stand here to tell his family we appreciate, value and remember his great contribution and we say it with thanks from Irish public life for his commitment to the democratic process and giving that great, full life of involvement in democracy, which is to the benefit of every citizen, even those who disagree. This is an important part of it. Ar dheis Dé go raibh sé. Caithfidh mé críochnú le comhbhrón a dhéanamh lena phairtí, lena chlann agus, go speisialta, lena bhean chéile, Ann. We remember him and in offering our condolence to the family, will celebrate a life well delivered and well lived.

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