Terry Leyden (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

There is no doubt that he would be a great asset.

On 31 October 2013 Fr. Devine was awarded the prestigious award by the Caring Institute International Award and was inducted into the caring hall of fame. The 2012 recipient was His Holiness the Dalai Lama and previous recipients include Colin Powell and Jimmy Carter. I am delighted to welcome him to the Seanad and commend him on his work in Kenya, Tanzania and beyond. Fr. Devine has served with the Society for African Missions for the past 25 years and recently established the Shalom Centre for Conflict Resolution and Reconciliation, which seeks to assist in the reconciliation of the tribes and elders in the border of Tanzania and Nairobi. I congratulate him on receipt of the award, which is very prestigious for an Irish man. To my mind, it is verging on the Nobel peace prize. I wish him well and continued success. I hope that we will be working with him in Ireland in the context of the establishment here of a Shalom centre. I wish him continued health and success in the work he is undertaking.

At his induction into the hall of fame, he stated it was on behalf of all the missionaries and peace lovers in Africa and that he represented them at that award. It was not just for himself, but for all those unheralded nuns, sisters, brothers and priests who work so tirelessly in Africa and beyond on behalf of this country and the Catholic Church.