Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Before I call Senators in the Order of Business, as Cathaoirleach, I thank you, Senator Norris, for your contribution and wish you a long and healthy retirement. Your passion has not diminished, as we can see from your final contribution.

As Senators will know, Senator Norris was first elected in 1987 as an Independent Senator for the University of Dublin, and he has been successfully re-elected at every Seanad election since then. I thank Brian Murray for the wonderful job he has done. I do not know how he managed to handle Senator Norris in all those election campaigns but well done to him.

Senators will know that Senator Norris won nine elections, topping the poll on six of those occasions. Senator, you are the longest serving Senator in the history of Seanad Éireann and you been father of the House for many years now. During your time as a Member of the House, you have sponsored 34 Bills, one as recently as February of last year on domestic violence, which speaks to your lifetime commitment on many issues, including social issues. We thank you for that.

As we said earlier in our conversation, you are not a one-trick pony but a man of many different parts. Your Bills, as I said, covered a wide and diverse range of topics, yet your primary focus was on the issues of human rights and equality, from the abolition of the death penalty, housing, homelessness, disability rights and mental health to the protection of the native Irish honey bee and the prohibition of conversion therapies.

I wish to inform Senators that we have received letters from both An tUachtarán, Michael D. Higgins, and An Taoiseach, Deputy Leo Varadkar, who wish to convey their deep appreciation to Senator Norris. In his letter, an tUachtarán pays generous tribute to you, Senator, and recalls the highlights of your illustrious career, which he describes, very aptly, as a journey of unwavering dedication to public service. President Higgins rightly attributes to Senator Norris a courage beyond the ordinary and predicts that your legacy will be as a champion of equality and diversity and that you will continue to inspire future generations. The President recalls with great pleasure your collaboration when you and he were both Members of the Seanad. He also acknowledges your pride in our nation's rich heritage, which you fostered through your love, care, performance of and devoted passion for James Joyce's rich legacy to world literature.He concludes by saying, "I wish David Norris every happiness in his retirement and fulfilment as he begins this new chapter in his life." I know the House will agree with the President's aspiration and hope that you will have a well-deserved rest in the knowledge that your work has helped to make Ireland a better place for all.

The Taoiseach, Deputy Leo Varadkar, in his letter, pays tribute to you, Senator Norris, on your leadership on universal and human rights for LGBT people, women and minorities. He says that we stand on your shoulders and that, in your campaigns, you showed true leadership, standing for causes that were unpopular and poorly understood but, above all, were appealing to our best instincts as human beings: kindness, compassion, tolerance and acceptance. The Taoiseach also highlights that since you first became elected, today we now have three members of the Cabinet who are openly gay. The Taoiseach concludes his remarks by thanking you for protecting the heritage of our capital city, from Joyce to Georgian Dublin, and he says that your readings of Ulyssescame alive for him in a way that he had never appreciated before.

Senator Norris, on my own behalf and on behalf of the House, I thank you so much. I owe you a huge debt of gratitude that words will never repay. Members of the LGBT community who paid tribute to you here last December rightly paid homage to you for the sterling work, the bravery and the courage you have shown. We thank you and we wish you well.

We thank Miriam Smith and her husband, Noel, who are here today. Miriam has been almost 30 years with Senator Norris. She is a saint beyond words and we thank her so much for that. We thank Noel for being a friend. Both of you shared a love of Miriam and we hope that continues for many years.

I call the iar-Chathaoirleach, Senator Denis O'Donovan.