John Ellis (Fianna Fail)

In common with all my colleagues, I wish to express my sincere sympathy to Tony's wife and family, as well as to his friends and colleagues. Undoubtedly, having watched him in this House over the years and even before he became a Member, he always was part of the former Taoiseach's back-up team and inner cabinet outside the real Cabinet. One might state that as Taoiseach, Deputy Bertie Ahern's Cabinet was in St. Luke's rather than in Government Buildings and on many occasions, Tony Kett's counsel held well both for the people of Ireland and the then Taoiseach. Senator Kett bore his illness by going about as though nothing was wrong and it is a tribute to the man that he never complained to any of his colleagues in this House about it. All Members were shocked, having seen him in the House the previous week, by his sudden and untimely death. In common with all my colleagues, I wish to be associated with the vote of sympathy to his wife, his family and especially to his granddaughter. I suppose it is appropriate that his granddaughter probably will remember this day more than anyone else because she has received greater mention than anyone apart from Tony himself. This is only right because she represents another generation. She spans the generations and when she reads these tributes in 20 years' time, she will realise what a loss it was to her not to have really known her grandfather.