Barry Ward (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Like others, I join in expressing my condolences to the Bruton family and our colleague Richard.John was a young man both in heart and in body and, at 76, too young to die. Throughout his career, he was young for what he was doing. He left office as Taoiseach just after he turned 50, so the fact that he continued to be so involved in public life, but in a very understated way, is a credit to him.

He will have a legacy that any one of us would be proud of and that all of us should be proud of. He was a thinker, somebody who was deeply interested in policy and ideas, and he always drove ideas. He was also somebody of great generosity in terms of the time, advice and consideration he gave to those of us who were beginning in politics. I can think of a number of occasions after maybe appearing on television or in the media, where you would get a phone call from John agreeing with what you said and also disagreeing with what you said, but having a chat about the issue, talking to you about what you said or did not say, asking you how things were and what way you were approaching something, or whatever it might be. The notion that somebody of his stature would take the time to pick up the phone to somebody like me was always something that was hugely encouraging and something that drove you on and made sure you continued to get involved and continued to think about what you were saying.

As I said, he was a thinker. I am very pleased to see some of the tributes to him in the last day or two, particularly the credit he is given for what he did on Northern Ireland. Again, the generosity of what he was doing came through in his actions on Northern Ireland and his consideration of the fact that there are two sides. While many of us consider ourselves to be on one side, there are two sides, and we must join both sides if there is to be a future for peace on this island. He was somebody who was hugely committed to that and committed to making sure it was an enduring peace. I am glad to see the words from people like the former Prime Minister, John Major, giving him credit for what he did and the ground that he laid that eventually came to fruition after he left office.

Even after he left office, he continued to be involved in public life. His commitment as the EU ambassador to the United States for five years from 2004 to 2009 was another hugely successful venture on his part. It is something that is still spoken about in Washington and he gets enormous credit for the work he did in securing that relationship between the United States and the European Union. Again, it goes to the stature that he had within the European Union that he was chosen to take on that very central office for the European Union on behalf of us all and that he did such a good job.

He is somebody history will remember very fondly. It is all very raw today and I think all of us have lost somebody we admire. One of the things I have heard consistently from people of all parties, all opinions and all colours is that he was somebody who was an asset to this country in the various portfolios that he held, as Taoiseach and subsequently, and his involvement in the development of public policy is a testament to that. As we look back years from now, we will recognise that he was somebody who was a great asset to this country, a great friend and a man of great personal generosity and stature.

Although we have all expressed our condolences, it is worth mentioning that books of condolence are being opened throughout the country. I thank the Cathaoirleach of Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council, Councillor Denis O'Callaghan, who has opened one in the county hall there at my request, and I know other local authorities are opening books of condolence. People will have an opportunity to put down in writing their thoughts on John Bruton and what he has done, and their sympathies for the family of a great man, a great Taoiseach and a great leader.