Joe O'Reilly (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I wanted to rise to join in the support of and the good wishes to Senator Buttimer. At the outset, I acknowledge the presence in the Chamber of his husband, Conchobhar, whom I briefly met today and I had met briefly in the past. I want to wish him well today. It is a big day for both of them. I also want to pay tribute to the rest of Jerry's family. I know that Jerry's brother, John, was a councillor for many years and his father has been a great supporter of his down the years too. It is a big day for the family and I want to wish them well.

It is unusual to be friendly with people on one's own panel from one's own party. It might not so much be unusual as that there can be quite a strain if you share the same panel with a party colleague. It involves a certain level of competition, and whatever, at times. It might be slightly aided by geography, but I have been on the Labour Panel with Jerry for a couple of terms and we have campaigned across the country. Often, we are in the one county on the same day and are following each other around. In fact, we met on one occasion for a very long social evening in one of the counties. We have managed to maintain a strong friendship despite that internal competition and even though we have been vying for the same votes with the same electorate.That says much about Senator Buttimer as well. He is emotionally intelligent and copped on in these ways, and we managed it very well.

He has been elegantly proposed and seconded. The proposer and seconder did good jobs, and I will not go back over that, except to say that I believe Senator Buttimer will be very fair in the role. He understands the democratic process and the process of how this House works in a way that will ensure he will be fair and will respect and operate its rules efficiently and effectively. He gets all that, so I see he has the full set of skills to do a very good job in the Chair. He will also be a good representative for the Chamber outside the House, and he will present a very positive image of the Seanad. That is also important, because, in the same way as the Cathaoirleach is now, Senator Buttimer will then also be an ambassador for the House, especially as a member of the Council of State and other bodies. It is important that be someone who has the gravitas and the awareness of what goes on to do it right.

I am personally delighted. I felt it incumbent on me to comment because of our longevity together in this House, and I appreciate being let in now. As we have co-existed for so long in political life, been on the same panel for so long and managed to maintain a friendship throughout that period, I thought it was worthy of putting that on the record. I congratulate Senator Buttimer and I look forward to working with him in future. He is profoundly committed to public service and the good of others, and that is what we should all aspire to and be about.