Terry Leyden (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome our colleague, Senator Freeman, back to the House. She played a very important role in the presidential election. She highlighted Pieta House and mental health and all the work she is involved in. She has done the State some service. She came back with her dignity intact. She was an excellent candidate. As Senator Norris did, I congratulate President Michael D. Higgins. He has been an excellent President. I had the benefit of him lecturing me for two years in an extramural course in the 1970s. He was very inspirational. He was so inspirational that I got into the Dáil four years before him. That is a great achievement for him.

I compliment all the candidates, Peter Casey, Liadh Ní Riada, Seán Gallagher, Senator Freeman and Gavin Duffy who participated in the campaign. It was a tough campaign. I had sympathy for Peter Casey on "The Late Late Show" on Friday night because he was up against one of the most seasoned broadcasters, Ryan Tubridy. Perhaps politicians should not go into that arena because it is not a current affairs programme, it is more of an entertainment programme. He put his case forward. It is fair enough. It was an election. It is democracy. We should be very proud that we had an election.

We should express our thanks to Senator Craughwell who led the campaign to have an election. It is better all round that there was an election. It puts President Michael D. Higgins in a much stronger position. He was elected with nearly 850,000 first preference votes. Next Sunday when we all go to his inauguration in Dublin Castle, we will see a man who went before the people and was elected. All the candidates put a lot of effort into the campaign and deserve our appreciation.

People do not realise the contribution the President has made in the past seven years. He was the first Irish President ever to go on an official state visit to the United Kingdom. He addressed the Council of Europe. He was extremely good. Senator Norris, who campaigned in 2011, also did the State some service and got a tremendous vote in that election.