Before we commence business, I should like to refer to the sad news we received a few minutes ago of the death of Senator Robert Kennedy. The country and, indeed, the world were shocked by the news of the attack on his life yesterday morning. Now comes the terrifying and horrifying news of the consequences of that attack. No words of mine could adequately express the sense of shock and the sense of loss that we in Ireland feel at the death of Senator Robert Kennedy nor the sympathy that we have for his widow and his young children and, indeed, for all the Kennedy family, who have suffered so much.
I would, therefore, suggest that as a mark of our sympathy, we take the unprecedented step of adjourning the Dáil for one hour and in the meantime I would ask you, a Cheann Comhairle, on behalf of Dáil Éireann to convey to Mrs. Ethel Kennedy and his family the deep sympathy we all feel.