Vincent P Martin (Green Party) | Oireachtas source

It was a privilege and a most wonderful institute of education. A little-known fact, not fiction, about our new Cathaoirleach is that he once helped Father Ted, who never forgot his kindness. Father Ted was a seminarian at Maynooth and on one occasion there was an important football match. Father Ted wore his glasses during the game and unfortunately a lens fell out. There was a well-advertised session in the local pub immediately after the game and there was a stampede for sandwiches, coffees and beer, but one player stayed behind with Ted to try to find the lens that had fallen in the grass. It is a lovely tribute. It is so trivial it means something, just like all the smaller things in life. That one person missed the party and searched until dusk to try to find Ted's lens. Ted went on to become a priest. If you were in a madding crowd and you were ordering drinks with Ted, he would forbid me from saying, "Father Ted, what would you like to drink?" He would say, "Vincent, please say 'Father' or preferably 'Ted', but never 'Father Ted'".

Sometimes a person's actions, however small or trivial, when done away from the glare of publicity can be a window into the type of person they are. What the new Cathaoirleach brings is that he is a stayer and he has a sense of loyalty. There can be few more important traits in a human being than being a helper, than having a caring disposition and being there for people. If you support people in smaller things, then you are great with bigger things. It is in Senator Buttimer's nature to be a carer. By the way, as a postscript, the Senator was unsuccessful in finding the lens in the grass. While he was unsuccessful, it was not a failure.

Senator Boyhan was unsuccessful today, but he did not fail and perhaps there was a postponement of his success. Failure is when one does not try and being in fear of failure is haplessness. It is not always in the winning that one inspires but in the effort one makes. Failure is when one is afraid of trying. The new Cathaoirleach will never pull out of a tackle and he will always give it his best. He is not afraid at all of failure. He would probably say, “Bring it on”.

I was a proud pupil at college with the Cathaoirleach, although I was not in the seminary and did not have a calling, or if I did, I left the phone off the hook. Perhaps if I had a vocation, my dear late mother had it for me, but in green terms that was not sustainable. I know numerous people who studied for the priesthood for a few years and they found it to be an enriching experience that they did not regret. Our number one constitutional officer position in this House has now passed to very safe hands. I commend the outgoing Cathaoirleach and heartily congratulate the new Cathaoirleach who can be assured of all the co-operation and assistance of the Green Party-Comhaontas Glas grouping.