David Cullinane (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I am very pleased, proud and privileged on behalf of the Sinn Féin party to pay tribute today to Trevor. I want to acknowledge and welcome the presence of his wife, Maura, and all of his family and friends who are here and the many who cannot be here. I extend my sympathies to his family and friends at the loss of Trevor.

I am a young Senator and it is my second year in the House. While I did not know Trevor personally, I am aware of his many achievements, which were very eloquently put by the previous speakers and the Leader of the House in regard to his achievements academically, socially, politically and, as I am sure his family would say, his achievements personally in terms of their own fond memories of Trevor.

I was also very honoured to be present in this Chamber earlier this year when the former President, Ms Mary Robinson, addressed the House. She spoke very fondly but also very honestly about her pioneering work on many social and liberal issues over the course of her lifetime and her work here in this House. She spoke about her relationship with Trevor and people like John Horgan, and the work they did on very important social and liberal issues. Many young people today might struggle to understand how difficult that was at the time. We lived in a different Ireland. Issues like contraception might be seen as uncontentious today but they were contentious at that time. We needed people to stand up and be counted, and Trevor, with Mary Robinson and many others, did exactly that, and they did the State some service in those areas.

I am also aware of the very important work he did in building North-South relationships and building up positive relationships with people like Gusty Spence, who is himself now deceased. It is very important we continue to build on that work and build those relationships. That work is being done. Senator Mooney eloquently pointed to Trevor's vision of what needed to happen to build a successful peace process and conflict resolution process on the island of Ireland.

I want to finish by again welcoming and acknowledging his many achievements in life. I am sure he will be missed by his family, by his friends but also by the people in this House and by people who truly understand the work people like Trevor did and the service they gave to the State. Go raibh maith agat.