I take the opportunity to extend the sympathy of my colleagues and the Fine Gael Party to the families, friends and colleagues of Garda Tony Tighe, Garda Michael Padden and Private Peadar Ó Flaithearta, all of whom gave their lives in recent days while on duty and serving the public interest. In the immediate aftermath of the tragedies which have brought such overwhelming sadness, I hope that the bereaved will take some small consolation from the outpouring of public grief which has been so obvious all over the country in the past few days.
The work done by peacemakers such as Private Ó Flaithearta serving under the auspices of the United Nations, in his case in East Timor, is frequently acknowledged at home and abroad. As a country we rightly take pride in the professionalism with which members of the Army and Garda Síochána have carried out their duties in so many overseas locations during the past 40 years. They have done much to bring honour to this country and have contributed significantly to the making and maintenance of peace in the many jurisdictions where they have served.
At home, the work of gardaí is so pervasive in our lives that we do not give it the public acknowledgement and appreciation it deserves often enough. They have been so successful in fully integrating themselves into the communities in which they are stationed that we are at times inclined to take for granted the many services which they perform both day and night for 365 days of the year to ensure that the rest of us can get on with our lives.
We should never underestimate the sacrifices and risks undertaken for us by members of the Garda Síochána. Garda Tighe and Garda Padden were the fortieth and forty-first members of the force to die on duty. Like so many before them, when they responded to the call for help in the early hours of last Sunday morning they knew they were exposing themselves to risk, but in the ultimate act of human courage they put the safety and security of our community above their own.
In paying tribute today to their personal act of heroism we also pay tribute to the force as a whole. The Garda Síochána has always been here for the citizens of this country. There is not a man, woman or child who does not owe it a debt of gratitude. The Garda is there for us in good times and bad, in times of crisis and normality, in our moments of sorrow and joy. On this sad occasion, it is appropriate that from this House we send the men and women of the Garda Síochána a message of solidarity. We stand with you, we pledge that you will receive all the support, legislative and material, that you require to serve the people of this country as loyally and effectively as you have done for so many years.
I reiterate my sympathy to the families of Garda Tony Tighe, Garda Michael Padden and Private Peadar Ó Flaithearta. May they rest in peace.