Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Senator Conway for raising the very important and poignant death of Caitríona Lucas. Everyone in the House was shocked by her death. As Senator Conway rightly said, it was heroically in the line of duty in a search and rescue mission and in pursuit of bringing a person back to safety. In the House today, as we resume our deliberations and work, it is appropriate that we remember and pay tribute to the memory and life of Caitríona Lucas and, more important, that we remember her for her heroic endeavour and bravery. We commend her and, in doing that, we remember her husband, Brendan, her son, Ben, and her daughter, Emma. To the extended families we send our deepest sympathies. We think of her colleagues in the Doolin Coast Guard unit. To all the men and women who work in the Irish Coast Guard services we send our thanks and our gratitude.

We have seen the television reports, the pictures and the imagery. It is easy to watch the television in the luxury of the front room but to put ourselves in their lives and in their way is another matter. I call on Members to stand. In doing so, I call on them to remember the life of Shimon Peres, whom Senator Norris mentioned, a man who brought peace and who worked for peace. I think it is important that we stand at the beginning to pause for a minute's silence to commemorate, remember and to say "thank you" for the life of Caitríona Lucas.