Mary O'Rourke (Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Cathaoirleach for his judgment in this matter. As Leader of the House, I wish, first, to do the proper and homely thing, which everybody does in such circumstances, particularly the Irish, and that is to pass sympathy to Mrs. Maureen Haughey and her four grown-up children, and particularly our colleague in the other House, Deputy Seán Haughey, on the death of her husband and their father, former Deputy Charles J. Haughey, who was Taoiseach for many years. It is proper that we should do that.

Writers over the next few weeks, and ultimately history, will balance the scales of justice in respect of the late Taoiseach's career. As someone who served in Cabinet with him for six years — five as Minister for Education and some months as Minister for Health — I can confirm that many of the statements made about him in the conduct of his daily business were, quite simply, not correct. It was said that he was autocratic in Cabinet and people were not allowed to have their say. He certainly cut off waffle. If anyone attempted to proceed with waffle, he or she was told where to get off, and why not? Waffle does not serve anybody well. However, he certainly allowed everyone to have a voice.

For me in particular, the former Taoiseach gave me my political chance. He opened the door. I had no experience of Cabinet. While I had Front Bench experience, I had never served at Cabinet. A fellow Minister who was disquieted by my elevation said to the Taoiseach, "But Mary has no experience". He replied, "She is sound", and I got my chance to serve in Cabinet.

There are many other features to the former Taoiseach, which will emerge in the days and weeks ahead. Be that as it may, that is the business of political writers and commentators. I prefer to look at the man in his full rounded personality. For me the good certainly outweighs the not so good. I recall his endeavours when we were in Opposition when he ran the party Front Bench as if it were a Cabinet. We reported on time for meetings and we had our memoranda and ideas ready. He ran matters in same way as he was later to run the Cabinet and it ill-behoved anyone to be late. Matters were conducted quickly, the business was done and we went on our way.

It was also good that his brother, Fr. Eoghan Haughey, was with him when he died. Death is awful, but it is a fine matter to die surrounded by one's relations and those who love one.

I think of Charlie Haughey's pursuit of the financial services industry and the legislation pertaining thereto when we were in the shadow Cabinet, as well as his creative activity and his genuine interest in the arts. I think of his interest in education and his interest in the North of Ireland. The beginnings of the boom in Ireland were no doubt sown between 1987 and 1989. Everyone will remember his speech about tightening our belts and wonder if he was tightening his own. That is for others to comment on. There is no doubt that the period from 1987 to 1989 set the scene for the later economic boom.

I recall personal family matters as well, but at the end of the day, Charlie Haughey and Brian Lenihan shook hands and wished one another well before my brother died. I am happy in my heart that was done and that the ills were forgotten. His head was demanded and was given, but if I start on that I will never stop.

As Leader, I wish to give public expression to the sympathy on this side of the House for the Haughey family. As was said so eloquently this morning on the radio by Catherine Butler, Maureen Haughey was not just a woman — she was a lady. She was wonderful to her late husband. They do not make taoisigh, potential or real, like Mr. Haughey anymore. Many will say that that is a good thing, but I do not think so. He showed charisma to people who flocked to him and wanted him. It was another era and another time. God rest his soul.

Brian Hayes (Fine Gael)
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On behalf of the Fine Gael group in Seanad Éireann, I offer our sympathies to the Fianna Fáil Party and to all colleagues in the House who served with the former Taoiseach, Charles Haughey. Senator Daly was a Cabinet Minister, along with Senator O'Rourke and others. Senator Mansergh also served with him in another capacity over many years. They will feel his loss greatly today. I also pass on our sympathies to the Haughey family in particular. I am not aware of any family in Irish public life who have had to suffer the ongoing glare of publicity over 40 years in the way the Haughey family has. They have had to bear the brunt of that publicity, both positive and negative, over those years and they have done it with great dignity. I sincerely sympathise with them today on the loss of a father, husband and grandfather.

The Leader is right to state that it is too early to judge the political legacy and career of Charles Haughey. He dominated Irish politics for 40 years. It is rare for someone to be elected in the 1950s and work all the way until 1992, serving as Minister for Finance, Health and Social Welfare, leader of his party and Taoiseach. We should not forget that he was elected by the other House as Taoiseach on four separate occasions, which is a seminal honour. Not since the time of de Valera has any Irish politician been elected on four separate occasions by the Dáil to the office of Taoiseach. We need to remind ourselves of that office. I was very happy when the Government offered a State funeral to the Haughey family who graciously accepted it. Whatever one's view of the legacy of Charlie Haughey, the fact is that he was Taoiseach of this country. As Taoiseach, we need to honour the office and those who held it for such a long period of time. It is right, fitting and proper that a State funeral would be offered and accepted.

It is also right that the funeral mass of Mr. Haughey will take place in his beloved Donnycarney, a part of Dublin I know well, as my godmother lives opposite the church to which he will be brought next Thursday. There is great affection among the people of Donnycarney for the Haugheys, particularly Charlie Haughey, who was one of them, grew up among them and was a local boy who did very well. That he is going home to Donnycarney on Thursday and Friday of this week and that the State funeral will take place there is welcome.

The Haughey years were defining ones in terms of our attitude to Northern Ireland, the ability of this State to manage its affairs economically in a sensible and sane way, the way in which standards in politics have changed and in which politics is viewed among the Irish population. There is no doubt Charlie Haughey was one of the most talented politicians, if not the most talented one, since the foundation of the State. I say that because he was utterly pragmatic. He came from a community which helped him to understand what ordinary people thought. He understood what people wanted. He had great foresight in trying to see how ordinary people lived their lives and he responded to that. He was a talented politician but, as the Leader said, there was another side to him and that is probably for another day.

Whatever we say in this House today of the life and times of Charlie Haughey, I am convinced of one thing, namely that the Irish people have made up their minds about Charlie Haughey, be that positive or negative. Nothing we say here today or nothing that is written about him in the weeks and months ahead will change the collective view the Irish people have of this political leader and figure who dominated politics in this country for more than 40 years.

Joe O'Toole (Independent)
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I do not wish to argue with the Chair's ruling but I would appreciate if Senator Quinn could be allowed the opportunity to speak.

Rory Kiely (Fianna Fail)
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I cannot assist the Senator as I have ruled on this matter.

Joe O'Toole (Independent)
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Our duty here today is to pay our respects to somebody who served the State for a long time as Taoiseach, the highest parliamentary elected position in the country. I believe the words spoken by the previous speakers would be echoed by all of us, the reality being that people will have different views of Charlie Haughey, a controversial and charismatic figure who was perhaps loved and loathed in equal portions but nonetheless whose contribution has been huge in whichever way it may come to be measured.

Mr. Haughey was unquestionably visionary and had a novel and creative approach to the various Departments in which he served prior to becoming Taoiseach. As Taoiseach, he introduced a presidential style of Cabinet leadership and took an interest in what was going on in every single Department. We saw his novel and creative approach in issues such as the artists' tax exemption, the IFSC and Temple Bar and his support for free travel for old age pensioners, many of which initiatives he undertook against the advice of senior officials and others. That must be recognised.

It must also be recognised that as well as the qualities of statesmanship which he showed time and again and his patriotic zeal for the country, he, like many great historical figures, had a collection of human flaws and frailties to balance all that. That is something on which history will make a judgment and on which, as Senator Brian Hayes said, people have probably already made up their minds. It is not for us to pass judgment on that, rather it is for us to recognise that he made a contribution as Taoiseach.

At all times he showed absolute respect for every elected politician, irrespective of what side of the House or what House they came from. I heard him say on a number of occasions that somebody who was elected to come in the gate was somebody who demanded respect. He was approachable by people at all levels from all parties or none. In that context, it is fitting that we should recognise his contribution as Taoiseach.

I should also say, being from Corca Dhuibhne, go raibh dlúth-bhaint aige leis an taobh sin tíre. Chaith sé tamaillín i ngach bliain dá shaol sa taobh sin tíre agus go mórmhór in Inis Mhic Aoibhleáin, sna mBlascodaí, áit ina ndúirt sé riamh go raibh draíocht speisialta ann. Bhí dlúth-cheangal aige le muintir Chorca Dhuibhne.

We offer our condolences to his family and to Maureen who made a significant contribution. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam.

Brendan Ryan (Labour)
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On my own behalf and that of the Labour Party Senators, I offer genuine condolences to the family of Charlie Haughey, and particularly to his son, who is a Member of the other House, and for whom most of us have considerable respect and regard. I also extend sympathy to the Fianna Fáil Party which has lost a figure of stature and charisma, one of the dominant figures of Irish politics.

Like many of us on this side of the House I am conscious of things I may have said but I ought also to respect this man's achievements. He progressed from a background of limited, if not no, privilege to leadership of the country. Whatever one thought of his shortcomings, which we will leave to others and to another day, he had a quality of leadership which was sometimes astonishing in its capacity to deal with the realities presented to him, which often differed from those for which he might have wished.

If one was not too close to him he was an easy man to like. Those who worked very closely with him were a little afraid of him. For those of us who knew him less formally he was an easy man to whom to talk, one who, more than many recognised, had a fairly sharp wit and a good sense of humour, capable of being expressed in a phrase or two.

Mar a dúirt an Seanadóir O'Toole, bhí an-bhaint aige le Chorca Dhuibhne. Ba chóir dos na ndaoine a cheap nach raibh sé dáiríre faoin cheantar sin tíre éisteacht le pobal an cheantair. It does not matter what the politics of people there were, they knew that his affection for that part of Ireland was genuine. His affection for the arts was genuine, as was his sense of Irishness. He dealt with the illness he had to confront for the past 11 years with considerable dignity and openness. In many ways he lived out a long illness under public scrutiny with dignity and pride.

Some time in the distant future the Succession Act, which he introduced as Minister for Justice, will be regarded as the most radical legislation he introduced. It transformed the rights of women such that certain things could never again be done to them. He had, and his family has, good reason to be proud of his legacy in other respects. Tá sé imithe uainn anois. Go luath, tosnóidh na staraí ag caint faoi agus beidh na leabhair á scríobh agus an taighde ar siúl. Nuair a scrúdófar a shaol iomlán, beidh lochtanna agus easpanna ann, ach beidh rudaí eile ann a bheidh in ár gcuimhne go fad téarmach, rudaí a dhein agus a thosnaigh sé agus an tslí a dhéileáil sé leis an saol mar a bhí sé, cé go mb'fhéidir nach é an saol mar a theastaigh uaidh go mbeadh sé. Ar dheis láimh Dé go raibh a anam.

John Minihan (Progressive Democrats)
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On behalf of the Progressive Democrats I would like to express sympathy to the family of Charles Haughey, particularly his wife Maureen, his children Eimear, Conor, Ciarán and Seán, our parliamentary colleague in the Dáil. This is a sad time for them, the wider Haughey family and his colleagues in Fianna Fáil. Our party leader said this morning that when Mr. Haughey retired as Taoiseach in 1992, the Government he had presided over had set the foundations for the historic achievements, the economic turnabout in the country and the peace process.

A number of speakers have referred to the success of Ireland's International Financial Services Centre, which is a living tribute to the boldness and determination of Charles Haughey. He will also be remembered for generating a particular vibrancy in the arts and for the excellence of the renovated Government Buildings which we see as a legacy. Much will be written about him in the days, weeks and months ahead. Today is not the day to judge, but the day to extend sympathy. On behalf of the Progressive Democrats, I express our deepest sympathies to the Haughey family and his colleagues in Fianna Fáil.

Martin Mansergh (Fianna Fail)
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I extend my deepest sympathies to Charles Haughey's wife Maureen and his children. They have much to be proud of as well as to be sad about today. He was a great parliamentarian who had an extraordinary political career.

Taken in the round, despite the sadness and difficulties of the past few years, he was lucky rather than unlucky. His many acts of charity and assistance will long be remembered by those affected by them. He did not believe there was any such thing as an ordinary person, but that everybody had special individual qualities. He was particularly conscious, because of his background, of the real difficulties and poverty people suffered, whether small farmers, pensioners, struggling artists or people living in the inner city of Dublin.

Three weeks ago I had the honour of sitting with him as he looked back with great satisfaction over the past 50 years. What he was most proud of was the social partnership agreement of October 1987 coupled with the national recovery from which the country has never really looked back. Associated with that was his very constructive relationship with EU President Jacques Delors which let Ireland be included with the Mediterranean countries and benefit from the vitally important Structural Funds over the past 20 years. It was also he who first pulled the threads which started to make up the peace process. In his time he vindicated a vigorous constitutional republicanism. May he rest in peace.

Rory Kiely (Fianna Fail)
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I wish to be associated with the tributes paid to the late Charles Haughey, a former Taoiseach, who died this morning. I extend my sympathy to his widow, Maureen, his three sons, one of whom, Seán, served in this House for a term, and his daughter, Eimear. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam.