Regina Doherty (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

My apologies, I should have said this, obviously, before Senator Wilson.

Senator Buttimer's career speaks for itself and it is fostered by the intriguing and social interests in political affairs he had when he was young and that were encouraged by his mam and dad. He has always been nosey and interested in everything but that span has hugely credited the people of Cork South-Central. He was first elected to the county council in 2004, served there until he was elected having contested his first election in 2007, elected to Seanad Éireann then and Dáil Éireann in 2011. He became the Chair of the Joint Committee on Health and steered us through one of the most difficult challenges and social changes we have had in this country over the past number of years, with such sensitivity and empathy when the women of Ireland were kind of ready to pounce on people. He did a wonderful job. He came back to Seanad Éireann a number of years ago and became the Leader here and everybody spoke so highly of him.

The measure of the man is that when I walked into my office a number of years ago when I became Leader, there was the most beautiful handwritten letter for me telling me and wishing me all of the goods. Today, in this term, we are proposing that he be the Cathaoirleach. It is not just because all of his political acumen and experience, and the wealth of issues he has championed, not least of which was establishing Fine Gael's LGBT organisation and widening that and co-operating with all of our other party's organisations to bring about the betterment and the equality for all of our citizens in this country. The real reason it is an honour for me to propose him today is because he is thoroughly the most decent person I think I have ever come across in my life. I have been friends with Senator Buttimer for nearly 15 years. He is the kindest, most generous and thoughtful person one will come across and I know when and if we elect him Chair, everybody will get to experience the breadth of the man who absolutely nurtures every single relationship he has. He has a really wide circle of friends and many people here can attest to that but he puts in the effort. He does not wait for somebody else to call him, he calls them. He has an enormous capacity for giving, for kindness, and for generosity, and by God, definitely in these times we could do with a bit more of that. Therefore, it is a real honour to propose Senator Jerry Buttimer to be our Chair.