Ann Ormonde (Fianna Fail)

I stand here today with a heavy heart. I express my sincere sympathy first to Noreen and the family. I shared an office with Tony for more than 12 years so not alone was he a colleague, he was also a great friend. He was a man I trusted implicitly. Whenever I had a problem I would go to him knowing that with sincerity he would give me the right answers. In all my years in the office I never found that his advice was wrong. That indicates how understanding and political he was and how he understood the political side of any situation.

Tony had a great personality. He was a great teaser, full of banter and laughs. I recall being with him at many social gatherings when at the end of the evening Tony, who was a beautiful singer, would give his rendition of "The Town I Loved So Well". All those gathered would gravitate towards Tony who became a leader in his own right. Everybody enjoyed his company. He had a great rapport with people.

He was also well-liked in Leinster House by all our colleagues and by the Deputies. In the past year everybody was anxious to help him, and Senator Diarmuid Wilson and the Opposition Whips helped to facilitate him in any way they could. He often spoke of that to me because he wanted to be in here at all costs and often struggled against himself to be here because he felt he might be putting pressure on the Whips at certain times.

I must also point out that he was a great family man. He was nature's gentleman. He spoke so kindly and fondly of his wife, Noreen, and about the successes and achievements of his three children. He gave me a running commentary about them daily. He was very proud of them, particularly of the arrival in the past year of his granddaughter and first grandchild, Isabelle. Every time he came into the office he would give me a blow by blow account of what his little granddaughter had done. She was not saying any words, but she nearly was because he was putting every little idea into her head. It was a pleasure to listen to him speak about her.

I wish to mention Kathleen Redmond, his secretary. She did a great deal for him. She found nothing too hard when it came to doing something for Tony. That is the epitome of the man.

I want to make one further point. While he was a member of the Dublin Central team and a great friend of the Taoiseach, Tony Kett was his own man. That is why he was held in such regard by the former Taoiseach, Deputy Bertie Ahern.

My thoughts are with his family at this time. He has left lovely memories which we will all treasure. I will miss him terribly. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam dílis.