Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I dtús báire, cuirim fáilte roimh an Seanadóir Norris. Tá sé ag féachaint go breá. We thrive on a contest and I congratulate Senator Boyhan on his excellent presentation today but also his sterling performance as a Member of this House since we came in here together in 2016. I thank my proposer and seconder for their very kind words. I thank Senator Joe O’Reilly for his graciousness on our behalf in Fine Gael. I thank him most sincerely for the job he did as Leas-Chathaoirleach. Equally, I thank the outgoing Cathaoirleach, Senator Mark Daly, for his wonderful term in the office. As Senator Boyhan said, he elevated the role of Cathaoirleach.

I do not come here today presumptuous. That is not my nature. I served as Leader of this House for five years and I worked with everybody to make this Chamber an inclusive, diverse welcoming House for everybody. Today I come to Senators as a Member of this House having served in public life for 18 years. That is 18 years as a councillor, Senator and as a Teachta Dála, representing people. Everything I have done in my political life has been about bringing people with me on a journey whether, as members of Fine Gael LGBT in the Gallery will know, it is changing minds about marriage equality or, as the Leader quite rightly said, in the most vexing question in the history of our State, on women’s healthcare, in this Chamber, thanks to the great leadership of the iar-Chathaoirleach, Senator Paddy Burke, we held in this Chamber the health committee hearings on the protection of life during pregnancy. For the first time ever, we had members of civic society and religious life in this Chamber, free from rancour, discussing the most vexing question of a generation. It was not just my leadership but that of us as parliamentarians that allowed that debate to happen that began the process to repeal the eighth amendment. Whatever your view on that issue, that was the beginning of the parliamentary debate. Equally, as Chair of the Joint Committee on Health, I demonstrated, with my political colleagues from Sinn Féin, Fianna Fáil which was in Opposition at the time, and with my colleagues in Government, the Labour Party, that we could as a health committee work together. To paraphrase Dr. Mary McAleese, my political life has been about building bridges and relationships, North and South.I come today to the Chamber not as a Government nominee taking the House for granted but as a candidate asking all of you to support me. If Senator Boyhan is successful, he will have my full support because I believe in parliamentary democracy and the seamless transition of power. I believe in the power of the ballot box and the right we have to walk through the Tá or Níl lobby or push the voting button. Our forefathers fought for this. They stood up for it at a time 100 years ago when it was dangerous to be in political life. Today we remember we are here to do a sacred duty, whatever our beliefs.

I thank Senators Higgins and Clonan for their support of Victor. I have worked with Senator Victor Boyhan and I would nearly vote for him after the presentations this morning. He is a man of sincerity and passion. We can have an argument with him and five minutes later we shake hands and move on. This is the style of person I like. As he said, we have travelled together representing the House and the Parliament at the OSCE. We have done so with honour and integrity. I ask Members for their support today not because I am a Government nominee but because I am a person with experience in the House, vision and sincerity. Míle buíochas.