Tá mé cinnte go mba chúis mhór bhróin dos na Comhaltaí é an scéal a chuala siad le linn an tSosa, gur cailleadh an Teachta Micheál Ceit agus an Teachta Seán Mac Eochagáin go gairid i ndiaidh a chéile. Cé go raibh an bheirt acu ar droch-shláinte le fada, bhíodar díograiseach dúthrachtach i gcónaí mar Chomhaltaí den Teach so, agus mar ionadaithe dá gcontae agus dá bpáirtí. D'oibrigh an bheirt acu, ar bhealaí éagsúla, go tréan ar son na Gaeltachta, agus is briseadh mór do lucht tacaíochta na teanga Gaelaí iad do bheith imithe uainn. Ar dheis Dé go raibh siad araon.
The Dáil will have learned with deep regret of the death of two senior Members during the Christmas recess, Deputies Michael F. Kitt and John Geoghegan. The circumstances of their deaths were particularly distressing in that they represented adjoining constituencies, North East Galway and West Galway, and neither of them was old by contemporary standards.
The two Deputies had a long and impressive history of dedicated service at national and local level. Deputy Kitt was a member of the 13th Dáil from 1948 until 1951 and again entered the Dáil in 1957 where he served until his death. Deputy Geoghegan entered the 15th Dáil in 1954 and represented the constituency of Galway West ever since. They both served as Parliamentary Secretaries in the 19th Dáil from 1970-1973; Deputy Kitt served as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for the Gaeltacht and Deputy Geoghegan as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Social Welfare and they each brought their considerable personal talents to bear on these areas of social and cultural development, to which they were deeply committed. For over 20 years, they represented their constituency areas on Galway County Council and served on a variety of council committees, particularly those dealing with health and educational matters. Both Deputies had a keen interest in educational and cultural affairs, and Deputy Kitt was actively associated with various Irish cultural organisations and with the Gaelic Athletic Association. He was a vice-chairman of the Galway/Mayo Development Board, a director of the National Rehabilitation Board, and a member of the Governing Body of University College, Galway.
Iarraim ort, a Cheann Comhairle, comhbrón chroí na Dála a chur in iúl dá muintir.
Members rose in their places.