Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 28 Jan 1988

Vol. 377 No. 2

Death of Former Minister: Expressions of Sympathy.

The Taoiseach

Members of the House learned with regret of the recent death of Seán MacBride. May he rest in peace.

In a long and distinguished career, spanning more than 60 years, he gave unselfishly of his time and energy in the service of the nation. Inspired by a strong sense of patriotism he was an active participant in the struggle for independence, a Member of this House from 1947 to 1957, and Minister for External Affairs between 1948 and 1951. He did much to foster economic and social progress in this country at an important stage in its development, and his contributions to international economic co-operation were numerous and distinguished.

He was an important influence in the creation of the Council of Europe and also served as Vice-President of the Organisation for European Economic Co-Operation. He helped to draft the European Convention on Human Rights. He was co-founder of Amnesty International and first chairman of its international executive from 1961 to 1974 and afterwards remained as president of the Irish section. From 1963 to 1971 he served as Secretary General of the International Commission on Justice. His passionate commitment to humanitarian causes and to human rights was again shown when he served as Assistant Secretary General to the United Nations with particular responsibility for the affairs of Southern Africa. As UN Commissioner for Namibia he sought to advance the right to self-determination of the Namibian people, and their leaders have acknowledged his important contribution. His international experience made him particularly suitable to identify and highlight the serious defects in the system of administration of justice and the discrimination that exists in employment in Northern Ireland.

He has the unique distinction of being the only person ever to have been awarded both the Nobel and Lenin Peace Prizes. A keen advocate of nuclear disarmament, he served with great distinction on many international bodies whose aim is to foster world peace, and he did much to highten awareness in Ireland of the nuclear menace.

He was a statesman of the highest standing, a renowned constitutional lawyer, a patriot and humanitarian. He was listened to with respect among the nations and he will be remembered with high regard not only here in Ireland but all over the world. I personally will remember him for his friendship and advice and for his kind and generous spirit.

Iarraim ort, a Cheann Comhairle, comhbhrón Comhaltaí an Tí seo a chur in iúl dá mhuintir. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam dílis.

Mr. Dukes

I should like to join with the Taoiseach in conveying the sympathy of this House to the family of the late Seán MacBride. There are very few of us who can look back over a lifetime that contained three separate identifiable careers. I think that it is mostly for his career as a former Member of this House and Minister and for his later career as an international jurist of wide repute that we would remember Seán MacBride. He had, as the Taoiseach has said, the unique distinction of being the holder of both the Lenin Peace Prize and the Nobel Peace Prize. I know that it was one of Seán MacBride's many ambitions that that particular ability to span East and West which he most wanted other people to emulate, and which indeed was a big part of the work he did, should be remembered. That distinction in itself was a very eloquent expression of the respect in which he was held throughout the world and, indeed, a very telling testimonial to the work which he did for human rights and the defence of civil liberties.

There was another aspect to his career which is probably less well known. This was a more recent development. It is the very strong interest he took in later years in the development of our national resources. A number of those who were involved either officially or personally in efforts to develop our natural resources have cause to be grateful for the good advice and wisdom Seán MacBride had to offer them. He was a man who was involved in many controversies during his lifetime. On many issues there are many of us who are here today who disagreed very strongly with him but all of us would recognise that, in our personal dealings with him, we always found him — whether he agreed with us or not — to be a man of very considerable personal charm and warmth. His passing marks in many ways the end of a particular era in Irish politics. We hope he has achieved at this stage, not on earth, the kind of peace he worked so strongly and so long for on this earth.

Mr. Keating

I would like to be associated with the tributes being paid today to the late Seán MacBride. It is appropriate that this morning we should pay these tributes to him and extend our condolences to his family. It is also proper that we should pay a special tribute to a unique human being who, during his active and intensely committed life, became recognised as an international symbol of compassion and concern for the protection of human rights both at home and abroad. His untiring work for those who are the marginalised and often forgotten in our world is the most enduring legacy in respect of which we all owe a debt of gratitude.

On a personal level I have always found his work to be inspirational. I had the privilege and pleasure on one occasion to work on an informal commission of inquiry into the penal service with him and I found his serenity in the midst of discussion and debate and his capacity to be able to somehow embrace a much broader view than is the norm in our political environment uniquely impressive and inspirational. His passing is a loss to the international community and to those of us who care deeply about the development of human rights policies here. Our condolences to his family and may he rest in peace.

Mr. Spring

Seán MacBride was a man of many parts. At one time he appeared to be on the verge of engineering a fundamental change in the development of the Irish political system but ultimately it was on the world stage that he made his greatest contribution. That contribution was recognised by the granting of many honours and by the esteem in which he was held by world leaders. Throughout his career he was a man in search of change for the better, as he saw it. In his later years I, together with many others in the House, found myself on the opposite side to Seán MacBride on a number of important social issues. I did not agree with the position he adopted and he was not always an easy man to disagree with but I respect the sincerity with which he held and maintained his views.

It is difficult to sum up a career as varied as his in the few moments available to us. Perhaps, in the fullness of time he will be remembered at home for things that are not so obvious now. He may be remembered, for instance, for his commitment to the development of our natural resources or he may be remembered as one who believed passionately that there was room on this island for every one of its young people and that we had an economy that could provide for all.

It is most likely that he will be remembered as a man who bought his very considerable talents to bear on the cause of peace and freedom from oppression in many parts of the world where that was an unenviable task. There are thousands of political prisoners, thousands of young black people, who have reason to remember Seán MacBride with gratitude. Their remembrance is probably more powerful than any monument we can erect to him. On behalf of the Labour Party, I should like, therefore, to add my voice to the tributes paid here. I would like, above all, to extend our sympathy to his family and friends who will miss him greatly.

Tomás MacGiolla

On behalf of The Workers' Party I wish to be associated with this tribute to Seán MacBride and I extend our sympathy to his family. Seán MacBride was a major political figure in Ireland and internationally for more than 50 years. He was regarded as a controversial figure on domestic issues but few Irish people have made a greater contribution to world affairs than Seán MacBride. It is for that that he will be remembered most.

He was a fearless opponent of racism as his term of office as UN Commissioner for Namibia showed. He also played a very significant role for human rights, in the international campaign for peace and against nuclear weapons. I am sure it was a great comfort to him that he lived to see the signing of the agreement between the United States and the Soviet Union for the elimination of intermediate range nuclear weapons which he worked so hard for and which we must all hope was just the first step in the process towards total nuclear disarmament.

The fact that he was the only person ever to have been awarded both the Nobel and Lenin Peace Prizes was a unique tribute to his international work, to his neutrality and his support for Irish neutrality. The most effective way we can commemorate him is by continuing and, indeed, by intensifying the struggle for world peace and the protection of Irish neutrality.

Members rose in their places.