Victor Boyhan (Independent) | Oireachtas source

On behalf of the Independent Seanad group I would like to warmly welcome our new superintendent, Barry Ryan. We look forward to working constructively with him and we very much welcome him to the Houses of the Oireachtas.

I join with others in their tribute to Councillor Damien O'Reilly. What a wonderful colleague. What a pragmatic politician. He was perhaps one of the better politicians in Leinster House, although he was not elected to Leinster House. You would meet him on a daily basis manoeuvring and scheming, very constructively and very positively. I can say that Senator Davitt is certainly going to miss him because you can clearly see his hands all over the work and the communication of the Senator in question who he represented. I would say this to Fianna Fáil and to his family: Damien will be missed. He was a great colleague and a great friend to many people, particularly in the GAA.

I also want to acknowledge the loss and the sad passing of Flor O'Mahony. I indeed knew him. He sought election on numerous occasions in Dún Laoghaire, as he did in Dublin North, trying to take on the then famous Mr. Haughey in that constituency. He moved all around. He never succeeded in getting elected to the Dáil, having numerous tries, but he was a wonderful party administrator and he was a special adviser. He was very instrumental in Barry Desmond's pioneering work and he was of course elected to the local authority in the Dún Laoghaire constituency. I want to thank the Labour Party for his involvement in politics but also send our condolences to his wife and family. He was a true gentleman who sadly left this world too early in life. He was of course one of the youngest members elected, in 1967, to the then Dún Laoghaire Corporation.

Finally, I just want to acknowledge the protest today by the Federation of Early Childhood Providers. The organisation represents over 1,500 childcare providers and I want to welcome them. It is important in a democracy that we have protests outside Leinster House. If there is anything we can say about today, it is that there was a cogent, clear message and a clear ask. That is real political engagement; not the mob we had out roaring and screaming last week. We have predominantly women and some children here today but also men who are carers. It is about the importance of the child. The Jesuits used to say "Give me the boy from zero to seven and I will show you the man". I was reminded of that today and of the importance of early childcare education. It is not just minding children; it is education through play and interaction. I welcome them. I support them.We need to sit up and listen to them and use our powers, functions and contacts to make it a better place for children, for childcare and for their childcare supporters.