Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 28 Jan 1998

Vol. 486 No. 1

Death of Former Member: Expressions of Sympathy.

The Taoiseach:

Is le fíor-bhrón a chuala mé mar gheall ar bhás Shéamuis Mhic Giobúin, Gaeilgeoir, feirmeoir, polaiteoir, agus fear léinn, roimh an Nollaig. It was with deep regret we learned before Christmas of the death of Mr. Jim Gibbons, a former distinguished Member of this House and of the Fianna Fáil Party. Although it was always understated, Jim was a man of powerful intellect and he possessed tremendous personal commitment to his role as a representative of the people in his native Carlow-Kilkenny.

As a member of Kilkenny County Council from 1954 to 1967, Jim learned at first hand the concerns and aspirations of his constituents. His stint as a member of Kilkenny County Committee of Agriculture, which he chaired from 1955 to 1965, and his membership of the National Farmers' Association, now the Irish Farmers' Association, served as a good apprenticeship for his two periods as Minister for Agriculture.

From the time of his election to Dáil Éireann in 1957, Jim rose steadily through the ranks as a member of committees of this House, as parliamentary secretary to the Minister for Finance and then as Minister for Defence, Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries, Opposition spokesman on agriculture and again as Minister for Agriculture from 1977 to 1979. Interleaved with his distinguished career in this House was his career in Europe, as a member of the Consultative Assembly of the Council of Europe, an excellent MEP from 1973 to 1977 and a high profile member of that Parliament's Committee on Agriculture and Committee on Public Health and Environment. In all the high offices he held, Jim demonstrated great administrative ability and superb negotiating skills.

As Minister for Agriculture in the early 1970s, Jim played a key role in the agricultural side of EEC membership negotiations and also in the commencement of the process of amalgamation of the State's creameries. During his second period as Minister for Agriculture he successfully solved the difficult problem of access of Irish lamb to the French market within months of taking office. That was a substantial achievement which formed the basis for the subsequent massive development of the sheep industry and of which he was immensely proud.

One could not but admire the deep personal courage he showed in facing political adversity during his career — he experienced many difficult times — and more recently his calm fortitude in coping with his failing health over a long period. The sad loss of his son Michael three years ago was a heavy cross indeed on Jim and his family. To Jim's widow, Margaret, his four surviving sons, especially our colleague, Senator Jim, chairman of the Progressive Democrats Party, and former Deputy Martin, and their six daughters, I ask you, a Cheann Comhairle, to extend on behalf of the Fianna Fáil Party our deepest condolences on their sad loss. Ar dheis láimh Dé go raibh anam dílis Jim Gibbons agus i measc na n-aingeal go raibh sé.

Mr. J. Bruton:

I join the Taoiseach in paying personal tribute to the late Jim Gibbons. I had the experience of being spokesman on agriculture in Opposition when Jim Gibbons was Minister for Agriculture and I have rarely experienced the degree of courtesy in public life that I experienced from Jim Gibbons, not only across the House where he answered questions meticulously and carefully but also outside the House where he afforded me unprecedented opportunities to be briefed on what was happening. When I was his political opponent, so to speak, he invited me to social functions at which he was host, which I have not witnessed before or since in public life from any administration, including those in which I was involved. His courtesy was legendary and I will never forget it.

Jim Gibbons respected the role an Opposition plays in public life. He did not agree frequently with statements from the Opposition benches and because he was an honest person he did not pretend to agree with them. He had no patience with humbug. He did his work while showing extreme courtesy towards a political opponent, which speaks volumes about the character of the man.

Jim Gibbons was a very interesting person. He was an accomplished cartoonist who was able to portray, by the work of his hand, foibles of character of his friends as well as his foes. He was a man of deep culture. I have heard many stories about his travels around Europe while in Government and otherwise during which he visited various battlefields. He had an experience and understanding of history, of battles long past and of wars going back over many hundreds of years. I have no doubt the officials who accompanied him on those visits returned fortified with a greater knowledge of history and of Ireland's place in Europe than they would have obtained if they had confined their activities to attending Council of Ministers meetings. I am sure they remember and appreciate their guided tours of Europe by Jim Gibbons.

He was very devoted to his Taoiseach, Jack Lynch. I understand on one of his many visits abroad he discovered the wine Chateau Lynch Bages, called after the former Taoiseach's family and he had great pleasure in presenting a number of bottles to Jack Lynch. That says a great deal about Jim Gibbons's capacity to make connections across Europe and that is why he was so highly regarded in Europe. He was regarded as a true Irishman and a true European.

In speaking about Jim Gibbons it would be incomplete not to refer to the very difficult period he went through in 1970 when his word was challenged in court and he had to endure a serious challenge to his integrity for the rest of his life. We should not revisit those events on an occasion such as this, but we should recall the deep hurt that must have caused him, a man of quintessential honesty to whom such an accusation and contradiction of his evidence must have represented the most profound affront possible. I think he and his family came to terms with that and his family can look back on his career with great pride. I understand one of the most eloquent tributes of its kind was paid to him at his funeral by the Minister of State, Deputy Molloy. I have no doubt his family will also draw some solace from the words of tribute paid here. He was a man of great courage, who had a great ministerial record and who worked hard for farmers, Irish agriculture and for his country. He was, in the truest sense of the term, a patriotic politician.

Mr. Quinn:

On behalf of the Labour Party I express my condolences to the widow and family of Jim Gibbons and to the Fianna Fáil Party, of which he was a long-serving member. I would like to be associated with the observations and comments made by the Taoiseach and the Leader of the Fine Gael Party. I did not know Jim Gibbons in the way the Taoiseach or Deputy Bruton knew him. It is timely for us to be reminded of the substantial contribution he made, over a long period in public life, to the development and modernisation of our society. It is sad that one controversy in which he was involved will always be associated with his memory. I believe history will be kind to him in that respect and, on behalf of my party, I express condolences to all concerned.

Proinsias De Rossa:

I did not know Jim Gibbons personally. It is clear from what we have heard about him today and from what I know about him from other sources that he gave considerable public service as an elected politician, the kind of service which seems to be taken for granted from many people elected to both Houses, particularly nowadays when there appears to be an almost prurient interest in peripheral rather than key issues that relate to the wellbeing of society. Jim Gibbons was a man of enormous integrity. At the time of the arms trial I was riveted by the reports on the stance he took then and subsequently. He essentially challenged elements of his political family which would largely have been unheard of at that time. It is a mark of respect to him that he was not prepared to brook any implication or downgrading of what he believed to be the truth.

Although I would have disagreed fundamentally with him on many issues about which he was very conservative, I acknowledge without reservation that he stood on what he believed to be the truth and on that basis we owe him a debt of gratitude. I also convey my condolences to his widow and family.

Mr. Sargent:

Ba mhaith liomsa chomh maith cómhbhrón a ghabháil ar bhás Jim Gibbons len a bhean agus len a chlann. Laoch staire a bhí ann chomh fada agus a bhaineann sé liomsa agus leis na daoine atá ar chomhaois liom nach raibh aithne phearsanta againn air. Is léir ón stair gur duine cróga a bhí ann. Léirigh sé misneach nach mbíonn ag teastáil go minic sa saol polaitíochta ach a bhí ag teastáil go géar nuair a bhí seisean páirteach.

Cailliúnt mór é don tír agus don Dáil. D'fhág sé oidhreacht Ghaelach, oidhreacht tírghrá agus oidhreacht na fírinne in a dhiaidh. Más féidir linnne ar son chuimhneachán Jim Gibbons é sin a leanúint ba mhaith an ról a bhí aige dá bharr sin. Mar sin impím ar Theachtaí atá anseo agus atá fós páirteach sa pholaitíocht an sampla sin a leanúint agus an Ghaeilge a úsáid chomh minic agus is féidir sa Tigh go háirithe.