Diarmuid Wilson (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Like my colleagues I was saddened to hear of the unexpected retirement of our colleague, the former Senator, Denis Landy. He has been involved in Labour Party politics since he was a very young man. He followed in the footsteps of his uncle Michael Kavanagh, who was a founder member of the Labour Party. For more than 23 years, he served as a town councillor and a county councillor. In 2011 he was elected on the Administrative Panel with me to the Seanad and was re-elected in 2016. I wish him and his family well in his retirement. I know there will be another day to discuss his legacy.I also join in sending our condolences to the people of Georgia and the residents of the resort city of Batumi where 11 young people were killed and a further 19 were injured yesterday in a fire. The town is twinned with County Cork and there are both political and business links to the region. Having visited Georgia recently I can attest to what a beautiful country it is and what beautiful people they are. Georgia is a vibrant democracy. It is ironic at a time when we are discussing Brexit in this country and our neighbours in the United Kingdom are anxious to get out of Europe that those people see the value of democracy and are trying their very best to join the European Union. We should give them every support we can in that regard. I pay tribute to the Georgian Embassy in Dublin which is a very active mission and in particular the ambassador, George Zurabashvili.