Vol. 317 No. 7
A Cheann Comhairle, tá orm a chur in iúl duit gur éirigh mé as oifig mar Thaoiseach maidin inniu trína chur sin in iúl don Uachtarán de bhun an Bhunreachta.
As I have already said, I have this morning resigned from the office of Taoiseach by placing my resignation in the hands of the President, pursuant to the Constitution.
In this House in which he has served for so many years as Deputy, Minister, Taoiseach, and for a period Leader of the Opposition, I should like to express again formally what I was glad to have the chance to say last Wednesday through other channels, my sincere regret at the departure of the Taoiseach from his office and the respect which I and my party feel for his service to the State. My predecessor, Deputy Liam Cosgrave, has spoken of Deputy Lynch's unique popularity as a political leader. This is a reflection of qualities of warmth, spontaneity and sincerity which attract our people naturally. I have admired also his tenacity and political skill exercised frequently in the interests of leading his party along the path of moderation in relation to Northern Ireland and his almost unfailing courtesy even when his patience has been tested, by me amongst others. History will in time give an interim and later a more definitive verdict on his place in Irish politics. I can only record regret that at the end he was brought down before his time by smaller ambitious men who have little mercy for a man who has served them and his country well.
Shame.
He knows and his wife, Maureen, knows in what affection she is held by people of all parties and how much we, who know what a burden politics impose on those people engaged in them, respect the support and encouragement which she was always able to give him in bad times and good. I hope that he will wish to remain in this House for a long time to come. If he does I am sure that the electorate in Cork will oblige. On behalf of all my colleagues I wish himself and his wife a long and happy retirement together free from the burdens of office.
On the announcement by Deputy Lynch of his relinquishing the office of Taoiseach of this country after 13 years, on behalf of my party I would like to express to Deputy Lynch our appreciation of the service he has rendered to Ireland over his period in public life. I have had and still have profound differences of opinion with him regarding economic and social policies and on occasions on reconciliation with Northern Ireland and the means by which it can best be achieved in our country. There has never been the slightest doubt on the part of either friend or foe about the personal integrity of Deputy Lynch.
Hear, hear.
Neither has there ever been any doubt about the motivation for his service to this country. There has never been any question of personal advantage or ambition on the part of Deputy Lynch. For the most part of the past ten years he has had the responsibility of presiding over the affairs of this nation in an extremely difficult period—perhaps one of the most difficult since the foundation of the State—but he undertook that responsibility, according to his lights, in the best interest of the Irish people. However, that difficult and turbulent period deprived Deputy Lynch and his wife of many of the domestic compensations that one would be entitled to expect in married life. On behalf of this party I can only express the sincere wish that Deputy Lynch and his wife may now have an opportunity of making up for the sacrifices they have had to make in the service of Ireland. I wish them a long and happy life together.
Tá mé buíoch do cheannaraí páirtí an Fhreasúra as an méid a dúirt siad fúm ar maidin agus ba mhaith liom a rá freisin go bhfuil mé buíoch díobh faoin méid a dúirt siad faoi mo bheanchéile, Máirín.
I thank the Leaders of the Opposition parties for their kind commendations this morning to my wife and to myself. I believe that commendation to be better deserved by my wife than by me because of the way she has helped me throughout my political career.
I wish to say also that the time of my going as Leader of Fianna Fáil was entirely of my own choosing and I believe that my party would have continued to give me the support I would require had I not chosen to go now.
Hear, hear.
The leadership of Fianna Fáil has passed to Deputy Charles Haughey. He is taking over the leadership of the Government at a time when the world and our country are facing many difficult problems; but I believe he has the ability, the capacity and the will to overcome these problems. I wish him well in his task. Guidhim rath air in a chuid oibre.
