Terry Leyden (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I would like to welcome the extended family of the late, great Martin Joe O'Toole, who was a former councillor, Senator and Deputy. On behalf of Fianna Fáil, I wish to pay tribute to the life and times of Martin Joe O'Toole - may he rest in peace. He was born on 27 May 1925 and departed this life on 1 October 2013. I would like to extend our deepest sympathy to his family and friends on the loss of a wonderful and charismatic politician, father, grandfather and great-grandfather. I would also like to pay tribute to his late wife Breege, who was a stalwart and a wonderful woman. I visited the O'Toole house in advance of Seanad elections. Breege gave everyone who called a great welcome to their beautiful home overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. I express my sympathy to Martin Joe O'Toole's family - his sons Padraig, Austin, Martin and Séamus, his daughters Marie, Anna, Breda and Gráinne, and his sons-in-law, daughters-in-law, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. I am delighted that so many of his family are able to be here today. Martin Joe O'Toole would be very proud to think that so many members of his family are present for this tribute to one of the great politicians who ever entered this House. I have spoken to people who were here with him.

I entered Leinster House in 1977, the same year as Martin Joe O'Toole. He was a Member of the 14th Seanad and he was re-elected to the 15th, 16th, 17th and 18th Seanaid. He became a Member of the 26th Dáil in 1989.

I served in the Dáil with him at that time. It was a culmination of years of commitment and work for the Fianna Fáil Party and the people of Mayo that he achieved a great ambition. He was very proud to be a Senator. He was most intelligent and he had a deep understanding of the rules of the House. He was elected to the other House in 1989 and I was also a Deputy at that time. I asked him to speak about the difference between being a Member of the Dáil and a Member of the Seanad. He replied that a Deputy demands whereas a Senator requests. That may not necessarily be the case but he used his position very effectively in the Seanad and in the other House.

He was a member of Mayo County Council, having been elected in 1955 and he served there for 44 years. I am sure the Cathaoirleach served with Martin Joe on Mayo County Council. He was chairman of the council on several occasions. He was a great and loyal friend of former Taoiseach, Charles J. Haughey, being a fellow Mayo man. He had great support from small farmers in County Mayo. He supported job creation, regional development, tourism development. He was a great champion of Knock International Airport and fought for the re-opening of the western rail corridor. When he was elected to the Dáil he demanded services for County Mayo.

It was said about him that he had a twinkle in his eye. Everyone who knew him - I knew him extremely well - was impressed by him, by his knowledge of politics and his knowledge of the affairs of state. He was a people's person and a community worker. He loved his own native area of Louisburgh and that region of County Mayo. He was a great conversationalist with a great knowledge of farming as he was a farmer himself. It is sad that he has departed this life but he lived to a good age and his great achievements are to his name.

His family is very proud of Martin Joe O'Toole. Members of his family including his grandchildren are present today. The tributes being paid in the House are genuine and sincere because we regarded him as a truly great friend, a great neighbour in his County Mayo, a great Fianna Fáil man, a great parliamentarian and a very loyal man who stood by the party and by the country all his life.