Michael Mullins (Fine Gael)

I want to join in the tributes to the late Myles Staunton and welcome Marianne and his family to the House. I first got to know him back in the 1980s. He called to me on a regular basis at my office in Ballinasloe when he was a Senator and was gearing up for a European election. He was a most charming and delightful person. One always felt better after meeting and having a conversation with him than one did before he arrived. He was always full of vibrancy, new ideas and life. He wanted to achieve things. As other speakers have said, he was an entrepreneur in the true sense. He wanted to create a better community for his beloved Westport.

He harnessed green technologies and ideas before they became popular or featured on other people's radar. I heard much from him about harvesting iodine from seaweed and his work in the peat industry. He has left a lasting legacy. He was involved in everything that was good and powerful in Westport and was involved in regional development in its truest sense. His involvement with Knock Airport is legendary. At that time he had many powerful detractors who spoke against what he, Monsignor Horan and others were trying to achieve but he was proven right. Those of us who live in the west of Ireland and use the airport on a regular basis can see how it has benefited the region. He helped to attract industries like Allergan to Westport and they are a lasting legacy.

I have always associated Myles, and another Senator alluded to it earlier, as the person who changed the Government in 1973 and broke Fianna Fáil's grip on power in a dramatic fashion. If he had not won a seat in West Mayo, as it was known at that time, we probably would not have had the Fine Gael-Labour Party Government come to power. Like the present Government it had to take the reins of power at a difficult time because we were in the middle of an oil crisis and it was a very difficult time economically. I always felt that Myles was more of an entrepreneur and businessman than a politician but he was still a very successful politician. He was elected to Dáil Éireann and served in Seanad Éireann and made a fantastic contribution to public life. Obviously his foreign connections helped forge important links for the country, business and industry. As speakers have said, the country has lost a great person, a man who made a major contribution to public life, business and enterprise in the west of Ireland. We need more people like him. Anybody who met him was left with a lasting impression and he conveyed a lot of good ideas and inspired people to try to achieve some of the things that he did for his people and community. Mayo has lost one of its favourite sons. I know that his family miss him dearly but they can be very proud of his very many achievements in public life and in business.

Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam dílis.