Jimmy Harte (Labour) | Oireachtas source

Like my colleagues, I extend my sympathy to the Henry, de Buitléar and Donohoe families on the immeasurable grief they are going through this week.

The Donohoe family will have a person missing from the Christmas table, and the children will not have a Dad at their birthday parties or for Christmas morning. Everyone in the country must be feeling as I feel about his death. It is something that should not happen again. I agree with Senator Terry Brennan's comments. I know the role the Garda has played in protecting this State since 1922. I had the personal experience as a young teenager of having gardaí protect our home against people who called themselves republicans and who were stoning our property. The gardaí had to stand and take the full force of their actions. They did it with pride and dignity, as did Detective Donohoe on Friday night. He died for his country. May he rest in peace.