Martin Brady (Fianna Fail)

I am privileged to have the opportunity to join my colleagues in saying a few words about the late Joe Doyle. I got to know him many years ago when we worked on the city council; I got to know him in this House also. When we were councillors, somebody referred to the election of the Lord Mayor of Dublin. When Joe was running for election, the Fianna Fáil group met and I was very privileged to be able to second a proposal to back him. The reasons given by all the members which I remember well were that he was straight up and fair, that he got on well with people and that there were no corners to him. In other words, he was the person to back.

I know Peggy Doyle. My father rang me one day and asked me to give Joe a vote in the Seanad elections. I could not understand how my father knew him. He said he was buying a lot of stuff from the Maguires and that they had asked me. I said it was okay. I met Joe afterwards.

Joe had a unique personality and took a keen interest in people and the community. There were four parish priests in Donaghmede where I lived and every one of them asked me whether I knew Joe Doyle. I discovered they had all worked in Donnybrook and they told me Joe ran the parish, not the parish priest.

Joe gave me a bit of advice one day. There was somebody arguing about something and he said to me that in our business one should not make enemies but friends.

Joe had a great hearty laugh. He had a few glasses of gin and tonic on occasion and would tell a yarn. His hearty laugh is still embedded in my mind.

Senator Norris mentioned conscience. Joe had the idea that one should not do the popular thing. One day there was a very contentious planning application from a developer and everybody was being lobbied thereon. The residents were lobbying against it. It was pretty rough and they were picketing outside City Hall saying "Joe Doyle out" and such comments. It emerged that a casting vote was required. Joe used his casting vote in favour of the application because he believed it was right to do so. That was how he operated. He asked me one day not to do what I perceived to be popular because it would backfire eventually and the people would see through it.

Somebody referred this morning to not going on holidays. I remember Joe talking about this. He told me he could not wait to get out of here and that the rest of the Senators thought the same only that they were trying to play politics. He said the public would not give them any credit for this and that everyone went on holidays, loved a drink and to get out of here for some rest.

With regard to the planning application to which I referred, it turned out that Joe had done the right thing. There is not a word about it now and everybody thinks the development in question is great.

These are a few of the memories I have about Joe. I extend my sympathy to Joe's family at this late stage. I come from the same part of the country and remember the Anglo Celt. Somebody asked me one day who Joe Doyle was on account of him being mentioned in it every week, more often than local politicians. Joe used to frequent and enjoy the area. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam.