Terry Leyden (Fianna Fail)

I got to know Séamus in 1973 when he became secretary general of Fianna Fáil. I am the only Member of this House who was a Deputy in 1977. I pay tribute to his fantastic work for the party. He was selected by Jack Lynch on the recommendation of his father, who was a member of the national executive. He was the most outstanding secretary general we ever had in Fianna Fáil. He reorganised the entire party. He had an arrangement in the constituency of Roscommon-South Leitrim where John Ellis, Seán Doherty and I were the three candidates. We were all in our late 20s and early 30s and we won two out of three seats in the election. He did not have to contact us much during the campaign and he left us at it to get the votes and seats, which we did.

I sympathise with Ann and the family. Ann met Séamus at NUI, Galway, where Séamus was a member of the cumann. He was the most outstanding public representative this country has ever had. The tributes today are the finest I have heard from the Leader, the Opposition and everybody else. Never have I heard finer or more sincere or honest tributes to any politician at any time than those I heard to the late Séamus Brennan. I want to be associated with all the fine comments that were made. They are all genuine, true and factual. He is a terrible loss to Ann and the family at such an early age. He is a loss to everyone in this House where he was so willing to come and work with us. We will all miss him sadly.