Paddy Burke (Fine Gael)
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I wish to announce to the Seanad that I have received a letter from Senator Martin McAleese informing me of his resignation of membership of Seanad Éireann. It reads:

Dear Cathaoirleach
I write to inform you of my resignation from Seanad Éireann with effect from 04 February 2013.
I wish to record my gratitude, first of all, to An Taoiseach Enda Kenny T.D. for affording me the opportunity to serve as a Member of Seanad Éireann. My sincere thanks to you personally for your unfailing help and courtesy and to all the staff of the Seanad whose professional support I deeply appreciated.

During my time in the Seanad I dedicated myself to two main projects. The first, chairing the Inter-Departmental Committee's investigation into State involvement with the Magdalen Laundries and the second, continuing the work of bridge building between North and South.

I am pleased to tell you that the Report on the Magdalen Laundries, which Minister Shatter asked me to undertake, has been completed after some eighteen months of intensive research and analysis and is shortly to be published. It is my fervent hope that the Report will be of real public service most especially to the women concerned.

I am particularly grateful for the way in which the Seanad contributed to a number of bridge-building initiatives, most particularly its historic invitation to the Orange Order. The success of that ground-breaking initiative augurs well for the continued, steady consolidation of peace and good neighbourliness between those who share this island.
I wish you and all of my Seanad colleagues every success in your future service to the people of Ireland and to an enduring peace.
Yours sincerely
Martin McAleese

As Cathaoirleach, and personally, I thank Senator McAleese for his valuable contribution to the Seanad. Critics of the House will often only measure a Senator's contribution in terms of the number of words spoken and recorded. Senator McAleese's contribution extends far beyond mere words. A man whose actions spoke much louder, who never sought the limelight, and his commitment and integrity in the tasks he undertook can never be underestimated.

I was privileged, as Cathaoirleach, to work with the Senator since his appointment. One of my proudest moments, as Cathaoirleach, was to welcome the secretary of the Grand Orange Order to Seanad Éireann. It was yet another step on the path to sustained peace and reconciliation on our island and the Senator's commitment to the process is unquestionable. He will never get or seek the full credit for his tireless efforts behind the scenes in bringing the peace process forward and bridge building between the different groups in the North and South.

There will be a lot of coverage today about the Magdalen laundries. Therefore, it is appropriate that we record our thanks to Senator McAleese on his work as chair of the interdepartmental group and for completing the onerous task, not only in his own dignified manner but in a manner which showed dignity and respect to all that he dealt with since he undertook the role of independent chairman. He is a perfectionist and his amazing work ethic and commitment to achieve the highest results means that he can achieve what a lesser person would consider impossible. His patience, perseverance and attention to detail and willingness to devote endless time and energy ensures that he will make a success of any task he undertakes.

I am reminded of the Italian proverb which goes something along the lines of he who gives quickly, gives twice. That sums up what I want to say about the Senator as I acknowledge his time in the House and wish him well in the future.

Maurice Cummins (Fine Gael)
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I wish to join in the tributes to Senator McAleese. It is regrettable that he has had to stand down. Due to his long and hard workload outside of the Seanad he was not able to spend as much time with us as he would have liked. He was not a regular speaker here but he made some valuable contributions. I also compliment him on his work behind the scenes in bringing communities from all sides of the divide in Northern Ireland together. It is an ongoing process and work that he will continue. It culminated in the invitation he extended to the Orange Order to address the House which was an important day.

Over the next number of weeks and months we will discuss his report on the Magdalen laundries and we all look forward to receiving a copy of it later this afternoon. He did tremendous work in that regard and should be complimented on it. I also compliment him on his work during his short tenure with us. I am sure that he has made many friends and acquaintances here and ones that will continue to be his friends for many years to come.