Conor Murphy (Sinn Fein)

A Chathaoirligh, apologies for the misunderstanding earlier. On behalf of our group, I offer my sympathies on the death of Pope Francis, someone who was considered a courageous leader and who spoke on behalf of the marginalised and vulnerable. It is not surprising, given he was a Latin American cleric, that he followed that doctrine which sees the proper role of the church on the side of the most vulnerable and dispossessed rather than the wealthy and powerful.

His nightly calls to the parish in Gaza epitomised the empathy and sympathy he had with people, as well as his being completely and vehemently opposed to unjust wars and illegal occupations. I was in Dublin Castle when he visited and heard his speech, which rightly understood the pain and suffering of those Senator Mullen has referred to, namely, those who were traumatised by their experience of various church institutions, and the recognition that those grievances needed to be addressed in a just and fair way. I sincerely hope the church continues to follow in this way and that whoever succeeds Pope Francis places that same emphasis on the need for reparation and healing. There is still much unfinished business in Ireland in that regard today.

He was a vital voice for peace in this world and will be deeply missed for that. On behalf of our group, I offer our sympathies on his passing. I also take this opportunity to offer my best wishes to Martin Groves. He was full of patience and understanding for those of us who were new to this place. I deeply appreciated his support in easing our passage into the House and giving us an understanding. I wish him the very best in his retirement.