Frances Black (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I offer my condolences to Captain Dara Fitzpatrick's family. I can only imagine what it has been like for them. I pay tribute to her and to Mark Duffy, Ciarán Smith and Paul Ormsby on the great work they have done down through the years and I hope and pray that Mark, Ciarán and Paul are found soon. I also pay tribute to all the volunteers and crew who are out there looking for them at this time.

I am also deeply saddened to hear of the passing of the great man, Martin McGuinness. My thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends and party colleagues today. I was privileged to meet Martin on many occasions due to the fact that my father comes from a small island off north Antrim. Martin went there many's the time to meet the islanders, and I met him myself on many occasions. I also met him through my music. He was a great leader. He was a very warm and charismatic man. He was a gentleman. His work on bringing peace to this wonderful country of ours will be a lasting legacy, and he was instrumental in delivering that peace. His desire for equality and justice was a driving force in all he did, and I think it is generally recognised that without Martin McGuinness there would not be a peace process. There is now an onus on all of us to complete the work about which he was so passionate and to strive ever harder for an Ireland in which everybody is treated equally, irrespective of background or tradition.I would also like to say he was a great poet. When I was doing a gig in the Creggan at one time, he gave me one of his poems. He was a great fan of Seamus Heaney. I am very saddened today to hear of his passing. He was a young man and he will be sorely missed. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam dílis.