Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Prior to calling the Leader to announce the Order of Business, it is my sad duty as Cathaoirleach to announce to the House that the passing of our former colleague and friend, former Leas-Chathaoirleach, Paul Coghlan, occurred during our recess. As many of you will know, Senator Coghlan was a proud Kerryman, one of five children, a friend to all of us, who made a huge contribution to the life of Kerry from a tourism, enterprise and business perspective, but also as one of the founding shareholders of Radio Kerry. As Members will know, as a trustee of Muckross House, he had a great love of that institution and was a very proud advocate on behalf of the people of Kerry and Killarney.

As a Member of this House, he had a long and distinguished career as a five-time Senator. He was a member of Kerry County Council and Killarney Urban District Council, serving as the Mayor of Killarney on two occasions. As was said yesterday at his mass, it was in this Chamber that Senator Coghlan really found his political home. He served here as Government Chief Whip and as Leas-Chathaoirleach in the last Seanad before his retirement in 2020. He served on many different Oireachtas committees. He served with distinction on the Joint Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement and was a long-standing member of the British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly, where he really enjoyed his term and took to his role as a convener and as chair of one of the groups with complete honesty and integrity, working across the political divide with all sides. He was also Chair of the Seanad Public Consultation Committee and provided great stewardship of that committee.

As I said, Senator Coghlan was a very proud Kerryman and yesterday, at his funeral, the love of his family really shone through in the comments of Michael. He was a friend to many of us in this Chamber. He had very few political enemies, if any. He reached across the aisle in a professional, social and collegiate way to make sure that work got done, and he always had that sense of camaraderie and friendship with every Member of the House and with staff.

On my own behalf, I have lost a great friend and mentor and a person I have known for over 30 years. He never gave bad advice. He was always a steady voice of calm and reason. To his wife Peggy, his children Michael, Mairead, Áine, John Paul and Aoife, his sisters Aileen and Anne, his brother Michael, his grandchildren and his great circle of friends, on my own behalf and on behalf of the Members, I extend my sympathy and that of the House. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam.

I call on the Leader to announce the Order of Business for today.