Seanad debates

Wednesday, 3 February 2016

10:30 am

Photo of Terry LeydenTerry Leyden (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

This is not the last sitting of Seanad Éireann. The Seanad will sit until 26 April. The new Government that will come in on 10 March might require urgent legislation which we will be required to address. This is a pre-emptive strike as far as this Seanad is concerned. The Seanad is alive and well and functioning.

Because I might not get an opportunity to say it when we return I wish to speak about Senator Feargal Quinn. He and I crossed paths when he was chairman of An Post in 1982. As far as I recall, he was appointed by the Jack Lynch Government and I was Minister of State at the Department of Posts and Telegraphs. We worked together in that capacity. As chief executive of the wonderful Superquinn supermarket group he was also involved in the area of trade and marketing when I was Minister for Trade and Marketing and we had many Irish promotions. He assisted many Irish companies to get established. He has played a very important role. I wish him well not on his retirement, because he is very active in life, generally speaking, but I wish him well in the future.

I also wish the Taoiseach's nominees well. They are the most enlightened appointments of any Taoiseach since the foundation of the State. The Taoiseach, Deputy Enda Kenny, and the then Tánaiste, Deputy Eamon Gilmore, compiled a list of Senators in this House who have contributed greatly. They brought a vast range of experience to this House and I wish them well, both those who will contest the election and those who will not.

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