Frances Fitzgerald (Fine Gael)

It is an honour to pay tribute in the Seanad to the late Nuala Fennell, former Minister of State, TD, Senator and equality campaigner, loving wife, mother, sister. I acknowledge the presence of her family here today.

The first anniversary of Nuala's death takes place next month and it is an apt time, therefore, to pause and reflect on the lifetime of work of this remarkable woman and what she gave to this country and to the causes which were so dear to her, which made a difference to so many people.

In 1972, Nuala established the AIM group which was dedicated to looking after the interests of those who were then described as deserted wives. She worked and led the charge to establish the first refuge for women suffering domestic abuse in Dublin and laid the foundation for the development of many services since then.

Nuala became the first chair of Irish Women's Aid. I was reading about her interest in that and the story was that she was watching a television programme about violence in the United Kingdom and saw that there were many Irish women that service was trying to look after who had left Ireland and had no place to go. She wrote a letter to The Irish Times and asked if people were interested in working with her to try to do something in Ireland. That is how the organisation got established, which has gone on to do much good work and help so many families.

Nuala was also an executive of the Irish Council for the Status of Women, now the National Women's Council of Ireland.

Towards the end of the 1970s, Nuala became interested in Garret FitzGerald's work with Fine Gael and contested the 1981 election to the Dáil in Dublin South. She was elected and held her seat in the two elections in the politically turbulent months that followed.

In many ways the high point of Nuala's career came upon her appointment as Minister of State with responsibility for women's affairs and family law reform in 1982. She was a strong voice and an advocate for women and equality in the Dáil, in the Government and in public life.

Nuala played a leading role in the divorce referendum of 1986 and while the referendum was not successful, when one looks back now it is clear she was a politician and a thinker ahead of her time. Everybody will agree with that.

As a junior Minister, Nuala succeeded in abolishing the concept of illegitimacy, ensuring that every child was recognised as equal. It is difficult to believe now that she had to take on that task. It was a difficult task at the time but she did it and she succeeded.

In 1987, this House benefited from Nuala's election to the Seanad where she served until her return to the Dáil in 1989. Despite Fine Gael being out of office, Nuala continued to play an important role through her membership of the Oireachtas committee on women's rights. She was involved in many seminal reports produced by that committee that led to much change in Irish society during that period.

In 1992, Nuala retired from politics having served with energy, distinction and determination. The warmth of the tributes paid to Nuala upon her death from politicians on all sides of the political divide paints a revealing picture of a woman who was respected and admired by all and who was a role model and a source of encouragement to women in politics, regardless of political affiliation.

On a personal level, Nuala was the first politician I campaigned for as a member of the Women's Political Association. I recall being drawn to her campaign and her candidacy based on our shared views on equality and women's issues. Nuala was a trailblazer, and the trail she has set out in politics will never be erased and can only be further developed and progressed. Indeed, in recent years Nuala said that much work remains to be done. Much work does remain to be done to ensure there are more women in politics and more attention paid to the issues Nuala cared deeply about but the body of work done by Nuala, and the trailblazer she was, makes that burden all the easier for those of left behind.

To Nuala's husband, Brian, her children, Jacqueline, Garrett and Amanda, her sisters, her grandchildren and her wider circle of family and friends, on behalf of Fine Gael and on behalf of women, I want to thank them for sharing Nuala with us. We are all better for knowing her and working with her, and Ireland is better for her service to this country. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam dílis.