Paul Bradford (Fine Gael)

My contribution will be devoid of a Latin phrase but Senator Norris's final remark was apt. I join in the tributes to my former parliamentary colleague, Myles Staunton. His service as a Deputy and a Senator was impressive. He will remain in Fine Gael folklore as an iconic figure because he won that crucial extra seat in 1973. The history scholars among us will remember that at that stage the Fianna Fáil Party had been in power for 16 years, which seemed endless, but his victory at that election changed the story and brought a new Government to power.

In one sense Myles Staunton was a victim of his own qualities - his vision and ability. The type of politics that allows one to win elections, both local and national, was not the type of politics he practised because he saw the bigger picture. He saw that politics was not just about one's own community, town, county or constituency, but it was a much bigger job to turn around the country and the world. His contribution in that respect is worthy of consideration. I did not serve in the Seanad during his time but I observed his performance at parliamentary party meetings. His speeches had a depth of vision and substance. If we had more of those qualities in politics, and if the political system did not hinder that sort of politics, our country would be much better.

We all learned from his contributions in both Houses and at parliamentary party meetings. In recent years, I would see him occasionally in the Oireachtas Library. He was always talking about a new idea. My final discussion with him was about the sugar industry and he had ideas about regenerating that industry. There were times when he almost convinced me that one could grow sugar beet in Mayo, perhaps a stretch too far.