Denis O'Donovan (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Yesterday, some of us expected that our colleague, Senator Grace O'Sullivan, would grace us with her presence. On behalf of the Seanad, I would like to say I was very happy she was elected and I want to congratulate her publicly. I am sure she will be a tremendous asset to the European Parliament because she was a very good contributor in this House and was very passionate about the issues she represented. Like myself, she ran on the agricultural panel. Somebody described another election recently by saying that A was head of the poll but B was man of the match. In this election, Senator Grace O'Sullivan deserves the accolade of woman of the match, coming from humble beginnings to becoming an MEP. She is the success story of the entire European elections. I hope she will come in here before she takes up her seat in the European Parliament but if she does not, then at least I have put my comments on the record.

I am sorry for the intervention and I call Seanadóir Aodhán Ó Ríordáin.