Thomas Byrne (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Tá áthas orm mo chomhbhrón agus comhbhrón mo pháirtí a chur in iúl inniu sa Seanad maraon le mo chomhghleacaí, an Seanadóir Labhrás Ó Murchú. I, too, am glad to offer my sympathies today on behalf of my party, along with my colleague, Senator Ó Murchú, and express them to the family. I met former Senator Haughey on one occasion at Trinity College with Caroline, who was in my class. He was certainly put to good use by Caroline on the law society committee to get very high-profile and important guests for debates. That is certainly something that sticks in my memory.

When we think of people who have been appointed by taoisigh, and Edward was perhaps unique in being appointed by two different taoisigh, we look at who was appointed as well. Former Senator Gordon Wilson was appointed in that same Seanad in 1993 by Albert Reynolds, and former Senator Maurice Hayes was appointed in 1997 by Bertie Ahern. They are the sort of people that the taoisigh of the time were appointing to the Seanad and it is always instructive to look at one's colleagues on the list of Taoiseach's nominees. It speaks to what the taoisigh at the time were trying to do in building links between North and South, promoting understanding here of what was going on in the North and in the North of what was going on in the South, and bringing the countries together. Edward's family can rightly say he played a significant role in that.

He did not just clock in and out during his time in the Seanad, as very few do, but actually played a full and key role with Members here in terms of legislation. I understand that he also played an important role within the Fianna Fáil Party at the time. I again express on behalf of my party my heartfelt condolences to the family. It was a terrible shock when their father and husband died and we certainly felt for the family and are still thinking of them today.