Ned O'Sullivan (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I want to wish you well. It is a signal honour for you and for your family, which served the national cause well. I am delighted that your father, Seán, and other members of your family are here today. It is a great honour for the county. I would say it is also a matter of tremendous delight for the many county councillors who have driven us all crackers over the last few days trying to get you elected. You are a young man. The word "tenacious" has been mentioned. You are a man I would never underestimate when it comes to a contest. You will be a great Chairman.

You are also following in the steps of a great and outstanding Cathaoirleach, my old and great friend, Senator Denis O'Donovan, at whose wedding I was honoured to be best man.

I must also mention my other dear friend in Fianna Fáil who had an interest in this position, Senator Diarmuid Wilson, our party whip. As decent a man as ever wore shoe leather in the Seanad.

You and I, a Chathaoirligh, did not always see eye to eye. There were one or two spectacular clashes on issues of national importance. We never fell out, however. I take great solace in the fact that we will not have any more spats because now you are elevated to a plane that takes you away from the ordinary, hurdy-gurdy politics. You will be presiding, greeting, chairing and adjudicating while I will be still down in the rag-and-bone shop of Seanad politics, toiling away.

I am commencing my fourth term in the Seanad. I was very pleased to be re-elected. This is going to be a great Seanad. The previous Seanad was great and had great stars. Many of them have returned - sadly not all - and we have new stars. They are people I am delighted to see. Many of them have served their time in politics, and this is their reward. Many of them are setting out to higher things later on and they will get their grounding here. There are people from all sides. It is a very inclusive Seanad. Obviously not all elements of society are included but it is as inclusive a Seanad as I have ever seen. It is going to be very interesting.It is a very serious time for our country as we have the Covid-19 crisis to deal with. We have a new Government in formation, a Government I never thought I would see in my lifetime. It is a Government for change and of change. If someone had told me 20 years ago that Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael would be in the one Government, I would have said he was off his head. I welcome that change. Old friends who had separated and fractured over a tragedy of a civil war are working together again. It is a marvellous thing. My grandparents, who were de Valera people, would have been so happy to see this. I also look forward to working with our Green Party colleagues in government, and with the members of the Opposition. It will be no harm at all if there is a realignment in Irish politics; it is overdue. We now have a very strong centre. The left is very fragmented. They cannot agree with themselves half the time but they will become cohesive. We might be coming into modern European politics and I am not one bit afraid of that. I welcome it.

I digress a small bit. This is the Cathaoirleach's day. It is a great day for you. Well done and agus go n-éirí an bóthar leat.