Paddy Burke (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

It is a great honour to say a few words on the 100th anniversary of Seanad Éireann. I congratulate the Cathaoirleach and the staff of the Houses for organising this great event. I welcome the Taoiseach and members of the Government as well as former Members of Seanad Éireann.

I wonder what the Members of this House thought 100 years ago on this day. It was after the First World War and the War of Independence and in the middle of the Civil War. We owe those people, including the Members of this House who have served over the last number of years, a great debt of gratitude. The people of this country owe those people a lot.

We have a solid Constitution and sound laws in this country and our institutions have stood the test of time. All of the laws we have were passed in this House. All of the legislation went through this House. Every eventuality is covered in this country, including if we do not have a President, if the Government falls or if the removal of a member of the Judiciary is required. A number of members of the Judiciary are here today. We have the Council of State and the Presidential Commission and the Seanad plays its part in both. It has a huge role to play in this State and that did not happen by chance.

When I cast my mind back over the years in which I have been a Member, a lot of issues and eventualities come to mind. We had the financial crash and I can remember vividly that we sat right through the night with the former Minister for Finance, the late Deputy Brian Lenihan. He was questioned upside down and inside out on every aspect of the law that he was introducing so that the banks could open the following day and so people had money, could go to the banks and access it. I also think of Mr. Dónal de Róiste, to whom the Government and the Minister for Defence apologised in recent days and I wish him well. The review of his case happened because of a Private Member's motion that came through Seanad Éireann, proposed by the former Senator Eoghan Harris and seconded by former Senator Joe O'Toole. We had a great debate in Seanad Éireann with the then Minister of State at the Department of the Taoiseach, former Deputy Pat Carey. The Government of the day, comprising Fianna Fáil and the Green Party, agreed to amend the motion so that a review would be set up to look into the dismissal of Mr. de Róiste from the Army. That happened in 2010 and I am sorry that it took until now for him to get his pardon and apology and I wish him well. All members of Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael, the Labour Party, the Green Party, Sinn Féin as well as Independent Senators unanimously agreed with amending that motion.

As we look forward to the next 100 years, I have no doubt at all that Seanad Éireann will play a hugely important role.