We will now hear expressions of sympathy on the death of former Deputy and Minister, Mr. Tom O'Higgins. I understand the Taoiseach has given way to Deputy Kenny to make the opening expression.
Death of Former Member: Expressions of Sympathy.
Today we lost Tom O'Higgins and in losing him we say goodbye not just to a colleague and a friend, but to a statesman and a patriot. I last met Tom some time ago in Castlebar. He had a house overlooking the beautiful Lavally lake in the vicinity of Pontoon, having moved there from the previous old school which he had converted many years ago. He spoke to me of politics, the importance of our democracy and his hopes for the Fine Gael Party. I was struck by how undimmed he was by age and how passionately he still believed in and loved Fine Gael.
Tom was a servant of the people, a man who was motivated not by what he could get out of politics but what he could do for it and, therefore, what he could do for Ireland and its people. In Tom O'Higgins's case that was a lot by any standards. As a Deputy, Tom served the people of Laoighis-Offaly and Dublin for 25 years, from 1948 until 1973. They were years of courage, vision and an unerring sense of what was right and the decent thing to do.
As Minister for Health, he made a major contribution to health care by establishing the Voluntary Health Insurance group. He ran twice for the Presidency of Ireland, first in 1966, where he was narrowly defeated by Éamon de Valera by 10,000 votes, and later in 1973. The second attempt was remarkable in that he had probably the most devoted and youngest ever team of political campaigners as his children hit the streets telling people why they should vote for their dad. He had, of course, two eminent careers, parliamentary and judicial. His tenure as Chief Justice was characterised by his sense of honour that always marked him out and by the clarity of his judgments.
However, it was as a devoted father and husband and later as a grandfather to 30 grandchildren that he was happiest and most fulfilled. With Tom O'Higgins, family came first. He came from an extraordinary family, a family of rare courage, vision and patriotism. The O'Higgins family is, and always will be, synonymous with the foundation of the State. The O'Higgins's never demurred in the face of great political and personal danger, even death itself. If Tom ever needed inspiration it must have come from his uncle, Kevin, who in turbulent times gave his life for Ireland at a young age. Tom and Terry named one of their sons after him.
Today is a sad day for Dáil Éireann, the Judiciary and for us on this side of the House. We will miss Tom but we know that his great and gentle spirit will live on in the hearts of us all who were lucky enough to have known him. It is the saddest day of all for his wife, Terry, his seven children and his grandchildren, by whom he felt so blessed and of whom he was so proud. On behalf of the House, I offer them our deepest sympathy. He lived a full and healthy life and leaves behind a legacy of family and achievement of which, as Irish people, we can all be proud.
As we say goodbye to the best of men, I know that Tom O'Higgins would not judge the success or the value of his life by what he was, who he was or what material possessions or status he held. He would judge all of it by his sincerity and his success as a husband, father and grandfather. In the words of the United States writer, Raymond Carver:
"And did you get what you wanted from this life, even so?""I did". "And what did you want?""To call myself beloved, to feel myself beloved on the earth".
Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam dílis agus tá súil agam gur i suaibhneas na bhflaitheas a bhfanfaidh sé go síoraí.
On behalf of the Fianna Fáil Party and my own behalf, I extend my deepest sympathy to Deputy Kenny and the Fine Gael Party on the death of Tom O'Higgins. Mr. Justice O'Higgins was born in Cork in 1916 and was the son of a former Minister for Defence, Dr. Thomas F. O'Higgins and the nephew of Kevin O'Higgins, Minister for Home Affairs in the Free State Government, who was assassinated in 1927.
Meeting him was always a pleasure because it was possible to reminisce about the foundation of the State and the history of the country. As a Fine Gael Deputy he represented the people of Laoighis-Offaly and Dublin from 1948 to 1973. He was very proud of his service as a member of Fine Gael and a Member of Dáil Éireann. He served as Minister for Health from 1954 to 1957 and we have all benefited from one of his major decisions, the establishment of the Voluntary Health Insurance group, which is as popular today as he could have hoped. It was established in difficult and traumatic economic circumstances.
Tom O'Higgins was narrowly defeated for the Presidency in 1966 and was again unsuccessful in 1973. He was appointed a High Court judge at the end of 1973 and on 29 October 1974, he was elevated to the Supreme Court as Chief Justice, where he remained until January 1985. In 1984 he was nominated by the Government as a judge of the Court of Justice of the European Communities and remained in that post until 1991.
Tom O'Higgins became known to a much wider public through his energetic presidential campaigns of 1966 and 1973. In 1966 he almost caused the biggest political upset in the history of the State when he came a close second to Éamon de Valera, something that would have been considered inconceivable at the commencement of that campaign. It was the first modern political campaign in the country because of the energy he put into it. It was effective and it took full advantage of addressing the concerns of the modern Irish State. To this day, he is remembered fondly because of the positive impact he made on people across Ireland at that time and later in his work on the Bench.
He was closely associated with the Just Society agenda and his political contribution to public life was remarkable for its thoughtfulness. His speeches demonstrated a fine and open mind. His political heritage spans an unbroken contribution to political life in Ireland that predates his birth in 1916. That is no longer possible because the years have moved on. His passing is, in a symbolic sense, a turning of the page of Irish history from the 20th to the 21st century.
I did not know Tom O'Higgins well in the early years but in recent years I had the pleasure of getting to know him far better through his involvement on the Council of State. Like many who have given long service, in retirement he demonstrated a sharp mind on the council, where, even at its most recent meetings, he was energetic and analytical in his approach and in the views and advice he imparted to the President.
I join Deputy Kenny and Members of the House in extending our sympathy to his wife, Terry, his seven children and 30 grandchildren. I also extend the sympathies of the Fianna Fáil Party to his family. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam dílis.
I am glad to have the opportunity, on my behalf and on that of the Labour Party, to associate ourselves with the words of tribute that have been paid to the memory of the late Mr. Justice Tom O'Higgins. He had a long and distinguished career as a public servant, both as a Minister of this House and as a leading member of the Judiciary. He was the proud bearer of one of the distinguished names in Irish political history and all who knew him agree that he brought added lustre to that name in this House and, subsequently, as Chief Justice, when he jealously and quite properly protected the independence of the Judiciary.
On my behalf and on behalf of the Labour Party I offer condolences to his family and sympathy to the Fine Gael Party, whose interests he once represented in this House with distinction.
I too join the Taoiseach and the other leaders in extending my sympathy and that of the Progressive Democrats to the family of the late Tom Higgins. As others have said, he served this country with great distinction, both as a member of the Judiciary and as a politician and Minister for Health. As Deputy Kenny acknowledged, he will be best remembered for establishing the VHI in the mid-1950s during his time as Minister for Health.
Mr. Higgins came from a very distinguished political family, the foundations of which go back, as the Taoiseach and others have said, to the foundation of the State, through his father, the late Tom O'Higgins, and his uncle, the late Kevin O'Higgins.
Like the Taoiseach, I had an opportunity of witnessing his sharp intellect as a member of the Council of State in recent years. Notwithstanding his years, he was very energetic and very capable. I extend my sympathy to his wife Terry, his seven children, his 30 grandchildren and to the Fine Gael Party.
Ba mhaith liomsa, thar ceann an Chomhaontas Glas, comhbhrón a dhéanamh le muintir Tom Higgins. As a former Minister and former Chief Justice he will be highly regarded in the memories of many people, particularly people in Fine Gael. They will be duly proud of his work and the high standing that he had and will continue to have.
My early memories of him, particularly in 1973 when he was a candidate for President, have more to do with the warmth of his smile than getting to know him in any other way. Even though he had an elevated status in society, was renowned and had enormous responsibility, he always came across as friendly and ready to listen to other people. He was never aloof and this is a quality that I will always associate with him.
Others will remember him from having worked with him and will know him better. As a Minister, founder of the VHI and Chief Justice, there is no doubt that he follows a long line of people in his family who have distinguished themselves in politics. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam uasal.
On my behalf and that of the Sinn Féin Deputies, I join in the expressions of sympathy to the widow and family of the late former Deputy Tom O'Higgins. I extend that sympathy to the leader and members of the Fine Gael Party.
The first time I met Tom O'Higgins was in Court Square, Stradbally, on the first Sunday in June 1992. The occasion was the commemoration of the centenary of the birth of his uncle, Kevin O'Higgins, Minister for Justice in the first Irish Government.
Tom O'Higgins, as a Deputy, Minister and judge, served this country with honesty, honour and conviction. All of us would do well to remember the words he spoke in the Mansion House in May 1996 at the Fine Gael Ard Fheis:
The superficial prosperity of the last few years, instead of bringing benefit to those citizens who have least in the way of material comfort or even of bare necessities has merely left them further behind. Those who needed it least have benefited most.
Mr. O'Higgins is remembered by many for his tremendous performance in the 1966 presidential election. He fought that election against all the odds and was within half a percent of pulling off what would have been a spectacular victory. This achievement showed everyone that no one party had an exclusive right to any public office and showed that the people were willing to vote for change. However, Tom O'Higgins's achievements and legacy are far greater than that. As other speakers have said, he will certainly be remembered always for setting up the voluntary health insurance scheme, which endures to this day. He was also one of the architects of the Fine Gael-Labour manifesto and election victory of 1973.
Tom O'Higgins represented my constituency from 1948 to 1969 and he is still remembered fondly by the generations that he served. At meetings all over the constituency, particularly in his adopted home county of County Laois, I have heard his name greatly praised.
In the present climate of political cynicism and the perceived disillusionment of many young people with politics, it is fitting that I, as someone newly elected to the House from the same con stituency that Mr. O'Higgins represented for so long, should conclude my remarks by quoting his remarks made many times in the lead-up to the presidential election in 1966, ideas to which we should all dedicate ourselves in Dáil Éireann:
I live for my country and her people. I have no claim on the Irish people. I go into office pledging myself, dedicating myself, under God's providence to work and to work hard to the last breath of my body for the benefit of my country.
Certainly, Tom O'Higgins did that and we are grateful to him for it. On behalf of my family and the people of the Laois-Offaly constituency, I extend my sympathy to his wife Terry, his sons and daughters and his extended family.
Members rose.