Mark Daly (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I join the Cathaoirleach in paying tribute to the late Michael O'Regan, his wife and his two daughters on their sad loss. I am sure it was a source of great pride to him that his daughters joined him in the world of journalism, at the BBC and The Washington Post. He started his career at The Kerryman, which at the time was probably one of the most pre-eminent provincial newspapers and remains to this day one of the most important newspapers. He covered controversial issues such as the Kerry babies case and wrote a book about the appalling treatment of that family at that time by the forces of the State. He was not a man to hold back and always called it as he saw it, but with a great deal of humour, as the President pointed out in his tribute to Michael on his passing. He always knew when to inject a sense of humour, even at the heaviest moments in Irish politics. He always held power to account and talked about the need for journalism to take on the institutions of the State when necessary.

After leaving Leinster House and the political pool in the press gallery, in which he had sat for many years, he had the “Call from the Dáil” on Radio Kerry every Friday, which was regularly one of the contributions most listened to on the station that most Kerry people, and Cork people as well, listen to. Jerry O'Sullivan, the morning show presenter, would go through with great insight, as Michael always had, the politics of not just Kerry but also Leinster House and, indeed, throughout the world. To his family, his many friends and his colleagues in the media industry and journalism, I express our deepest sympathies from this House and from all the people of Kerry on the loss of a great man from west Kerry, of which he was immensely proud. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam dílis.