Donie Cassidy (Fianna Fail)

I have the very pleasant duty of seconding the Cathaoirleach's best wishes to Mr. Shay Byrne on his retirement after nearly 40 years of service in Leinster House. As Head Usher he retires with all the good will and best wishes that the Members of the House can offer. Shay came to the House as a service attendant in April 1973, when the Cosgrave Government was in office. He has the distinction of serving under eight taoisigh, which is a remarkable record, and I do not know if many other Members of the Houses or staff have held such a record. There may have been two colleagues in Dáil Éireann who did so.

He later joined the ranks of the ushers and spent many years in the inquiries office, where he was always the gentleman and extremely courteous and helpful to us. For the past five years he has been our Head Usher and his hard work and commitment have made him an invaluable asset to the smooth running of Leinster House. I know I speak for all when I say Shay and his light-hearted banter, which he conducted on a daily basis, will be missed.

Although he is retiring I know we will see him again, probably at the next golf outing. On behalf of all sides of the House I congratulate him on his retirement, although he is still a young man, and I hope he will enjoy many wonderful trips to Old Trafford to see his favourite team, Manchester United and cheer them on as it wins another cup. I wish Shay, his wife and family all the happiness and good health for the future and acknowledge the great contribution he has made to helping all Members of the Oireachtas in his 40 years of service in Leinster House.