Paul Coghlan (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Dr. Maurice Hayes had many great attributes and achievements, as colleagues have referred to. I came to this House with him in 1997 and served with him through his ten years here. I will not be able to do justice to his work, as Senator McDowell and the Leader have done. He was a major contributor to the Patten report, which has been referred to, and which reformed policing in Northern Ireland, leading to the creation of the Police Service of Northern Ireland. He was a key figure behind the scenes working on the Sunningdale Agreement in 1973 and he was the first Catholic appointed as Northern Ireland Ombudsman. He was appointed as chair of the Garda Síochána Act 2005 implementation review group and he served as permanent secretary of the Department of Health at Stormont. As has been widely referred to, he had a lifelong association with the GAA and was a fluent Irish speaker. As has also been referred to, he made contributions at many levels throughout Irish society, both North and South. He was a member of the working group on Seanad reform, which pre-dated the work mentioned by Senator McDowell. I might have agreed more with Maurice than my honourable friend opposite. He was everything the Senators have said. He spoke wisely and well always. He was a great friend.