Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Dearbhaím go sollúnta go ndéanfaidh mé, go cuí agus go dílis agus a mhéid is eol agus is cumas dom, oifig Chathaoirleach Sheanad Éireann a fheidhmiú gan scáth gan fabhar, na rialacha mar atá siad leagtha síos ag an Teach seo a chur i bhfeidhm go cothrom neamhchlaonta, ord a choimeád agus cearta agus pribhléidí Comhaltaí a chaomhnú de réir an Bhunreachta agus de réir Bhuan-Orduithe Sheanad Éireann. I do solemnly declare that I will duly and faithfully and to the best of my knowledge and ability, execute the office of Cathaoirleach of Seanad Éireann without fear or favour, apply the rules as laid down by this House in an impartial and fair manner, maintain order and uphold the rights and privileges of Members in accordance with the Constitution and the Standing Orders of Seanad Éireann.Ar dtús ba mhaith liom mo bhuíochas a chur in iúl daoibh as mé a thoghadh mar Chathaoirleach. Is mór an onóir agus an phribhléid dom agus tá mé ag tnúth le bheith ag obair le gach uile dhuine díobh i gcaitheamh an ama atá romhainn. I hope Senators will excuse me because I have a bit of a speech to read. I have been waiting for this for 18 years. I will allow no heckling this afternoon.

Father of the House, Senator Norris, thank you for being with us today and for fulfilling an important role. I thank you as well as for your dedicated commitment to public service as a Member of Seanad Éireann and for what you have done over many years. Your campaigning and activism have made life better for thousands of Irish citizens and for Irish society. Go raibh míle maith agat.

I ask that we all remember Private Seán Rooney and his family and salute his bravery. I also ask that we send our best wishes to Private Shane Kearney and his family.

I thank Seanad Éireann for electing me Cathaoirleach. It is an extraordinary privilege and honour that I never thought would happen. Ursula von der Leyen gave me permission and licence to do the following. The words of the Joni Mitchell song, one of my favourites, "Both Sides Now", comes to mind:

Moons and Junes and Ferris wheels

The dizzy dancing way you feel

As every fairy tale comes real

I've looked at love that way.

I thank my proposer, Senator Doherty, and seconder, Senator Wilson, for their wonderful remarks. They have both been friends. Senator Wilson and I go back to 1984, when in Maynooth College we were friends and troublemakers. Father Duhig had a tough time with us but we did okay after that.

As the 25th occupant of the Cathaoirleach's Chair and having served for 15 years as a Member of the Houses of the Oireachtas, I am acutely aware of the responsibilities and duties of the role impressed upon me by my election today. I thank Senator Boyhan for contesting the position. It is healthy to have a contest, and we were fortunate to have a choice in Senator Boyhan. He is a person of calibre and integrity who I have worked with well when I was Leader. As Cathaoirleach, I look forward to working with him in the future.

I commit to Members that I will continue, as my oath of office declares, to be impartial and maintain the fairness that is the hallmark of all Cathaoirligh of Seanad Éireann. My door will be open to all Senators. I will not always get it right, but I will do my best in the role. Déanfaidh mé mo sheacht ndícheall. Pléifidh mé go cothrom agus go neamhchlaonta libh ar fad.

I am pleased, on a personal note, to be the first Cork Cathaoirleach elected who is not an O'Donovan, who is not from west Cork and who is not on the agricultural panel. Timothy O'Donovan, a Fine Gael man, was elected from 1948 to 1951 and our good friend Senator O'Donovan, who cannot be here today, was Cathaoirleach from 2016 to 2020. As a proud Corkonian, I look forward in a different way to advocating for my city. Members will be glad I will not be able to speak about Cork on the Order of Business or Commencement matters in the future.

I thank the people of Cork, in particular those in my native Bishopstown and the south west, for having confidence in me in 2004. I am especially thankful to my Fine Gael Seanad colleagues for selecting me as a nominee and to our party leader, the Tánaiste, who is here today, for having the confidence in me. I welcome him and the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, Deputy Harris, Deputy Richmond, a former Senator, and Deputy Griffin to the Public Gallery.

In three elections, our councillors and my parliamentary colleagues have elected me to Seanad Éireann. I will be forever grateful for their support. To all the people watching at home who canvassed for me over 18 years fighting eight elections, today is their day as much as it is mine. I would not be here without them. Míle buíochas.

As I assume this office, I express my appreciation for the previous Cathaoirleach, Senator Mark Daly. As he said on Monday, he fulfilled five years' work in two and a half. He was an extraordinary Cathaoirleach and elevated the House. Beir bua.

I thank my friend, Senator Joe O'Reilly, for his graciousness and generosity. During his tenure as Leas-Chathaoirleach, he was always fair, personal, understanding and, above all, fulfilled the role with dedication and commitment. He is an absolute gentleman who has made a huge contribution to Fine Gael, Cavan and Irish public life. Míle buíochas.

I thank the outgoing Leader, Senator Doherty, for her leadership over a difficult period dealing with Covid and having to be in different buildings. Senator Kyne, the Government Chief Whip in the Seanad, will be stepping down. His calm, quiet, yet determined and steely manner got the job done, of course with the help of Deirdre Chambers. Míle buíochas and thank you to both. I wish the incoming Leader, Senator Lisa Chambers, and Chief Whip, Senator Gallagher, every success. They are incredible parliamentarians and will do an excellent job.

I thank Senator Pauline O'Reilly, who is vacating the Green leader's position, for her friendship and her wonderful ability to turn adversity into triumph in this Chamber. She is an extraordinary person who did a great job as temporary Chair but also in representing the Green Party. Míle buíochas. I wish Senator Garvey every success in the role.

Our parliamentary community has grown since we came in here. We are fortunate that our Seanad Office team, the ushers, the men and women who record and write about us, those who provide us with catering and cleaning services and those involved in every aspect of Leinster House, from the Bills Office to the Library staff, are extraordinary people. We, as parliamentarians, value them and appreciate the work they do, often at very unsociable hours. I thank them and their families.

As a politician, my respect for the Houses of the Oireachtas is deeply rooted. Seanad Éireann continues to play an important role in Irish political life but is at its best passing legislation and, by our Private Members' time, advancing change. As parliamentarians, we have a critical role to play in addressing the challenges of today's rapidly changing world. Collectively, I hope and ask that we enable people to connect with and participate in what we do in this House through policy formation debates to make our Parliament, Houses of the Oireachtas and Seanad relevant to their life.

President Biden said the global community stands at an inflection point in history. The Global Parliamentary Report portrays a record number of 739 parliamentarians from 44 countries around the world who last year suffered violations of their fundamental rights. We are fortunate that does not happen to us in the Houses of the Oireachtas. We must continue to chart the course of enhancing parliamentary democracy, rather than autocracy. The primacy of these Houses, as Senator Higgins said, must always be upheld and asserted by us as Members. It offers us the opportunity to not just be the voice of the people we represent but also to improve the lives of people. We are leaders and must lead. Today we stand with our fellow parliamentarians across the world; especially we stand with and salute the men and women of Ukraine. Slava Ukraini.

My good friend, Senator Paddy Burke, last Monday posed the pertinent question of what those 60 Senators in the first Seanad would think of today's Ireland and today's Seanad. I believe they would be happy to see a modern, pluralist, democratic country a century on embarking on a new and exciting journey while discussing independence and what a united Ireland may look like, with different traditions and hues as part of that. They would see an island nation on the periphery of Europe yet very much at its heart. We are a nation that has always risen to our many challenges, among them today the cost of living, housing and the energy crisis. These challenges must be met by Government, and I believe they will be. We, as a House, have a role to play in that policy formation.

This Seanad, way more than that which obtained 100 years ago, is a diverse and inclusive one.The presence of Senator Flynn representing the Travelling community, Senator Conway championing disability, five members of the LGBT community, 40% women elected, women leaders and a northern voice in Senator Ó Donnghaile, all make this Seanad diverse and inclusive.

As in keeping with previous Cathaoirligh, I have a number of themes I want to develop during my time of office. The day the Good Friday Agreement was signed, 10 April 1998, is a day we recall as a nation with pride. Twenty-five years on, we will remember and reflect on that same Good Friday Agreement. A quarter of a century later, what was once a fragile peace continues on our island. I believe it is highly appropriate that Seanad Éireann commemorates and recognises in a real way that agreement. As Chairperson of the then Oireachtas Joint Committee on Health and Children, I led members to Stormont to meet our northern colleagues and welcome the northern colleagues on a return visit to Leinster House. It is equally important that as Members of Seanad Éireann, we continue to actively engage and to meet with Members of the Legislative Assembly, MLAs, in Stormont. That strong association during my term will continue to be nurtured across all traditions. Tá súil agam go gcuirfimid lenár gcaidreamh le feisirí Stormont.

I am anxious that we, as a Seanad and House of the Oireachtas, in a permanent way mark the life of Senator Billy Fox, who was the only Member of the Houses of the Oireachtas killed during the Troubles.