In accordance with usual practice the Taoiseach will defer to the leader of Fine Gael, Deputy Enda Kenny, to make the opening expression of sympathy for the late Joe Doyle. Is that agreed? Agreed.
Death of Former Member: Expressions of Sympathy.
I welcome the family of the late Joe Doyle, his wife Peggy, his children, David, Michael and Róisín, and extended members of their family to the Distinguished Visitors Gallery. This is always the conclusion to parliamentary careers. It is a nice gesture for the Houses of the Oireachtas to pay a final tribute to those who were elected by their respective constituencies and served here. For every Member here now, some day or other the flag outside will fly at half-mast and someone will stand up to pay tribute to the work they did.
It is not always easy to give a picture of the personality of the late Joe Doyle to Members who did not serve with him. Of the many masses I have attended, however, Joe Doyle's funeral mass at Donnybrook was one at which there was a genuine feeling of warmth and an environment of absolute peace. There was also a sense of celebration in many ways. Why would not that be so since Joe Doyle was a sacristan there for 28 years. It was as if the entire place welcomed him back to send him on his final journey.
For those who did not know Joe Doyle, he was a deeply committed Christian. He was a man of the people who exuded the primary function of public service, that of interest in his constituents. Wherever Joe was met by people, he always showed his absolute commitment to the people who elected him.
Joe Doyle was elected to Dublin City Council in 1979 and continued there until 2004. He was elected as Lord Mayor of Dublin in 1998 with the help of Fianna Fáil council members. It was his honour to confer the freedom of the city on Gay Byrne.
He was elected to the Dáil in 1982 on his third attempt with Garret FitzGerald as his running mate in the Dublin South East constituency, serving two terms. I recall the controversial days in the Fine Gael parliamentary party, and the country in general, when the question of a referendum on abortion was being decided. Joe Doyle had a real, strong crisis of conscience about his interpretation of the wording of the referendum to be put to the people. At that time he was one of eight party members who voted on a conscientious decision against the wording with the result that the alternative wording was passed by a slim majority in 1983. Joe Doyle always made the point that his decision on that issue was one for him to decide with his conscience and that he did.
He took an interest in the horse-racing syndicate in the House, being a fully participating member. In his younger years he had an interest in the greyhound industry. Due to his epilepsy, he never drove and walked around his constituency, a good idea of which the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Deputy John Gormley, would approve. He either travelled by bus or by train and Peggy often drove him around the country on the wild adventures they had on his successful Seanad campaigns.
In that sense, he was a quintessential Dub. Born and bred very close to Donnybrook, he went to school in Milltown and later in Westland Row. He served 28 years as a sacristan in his local church. In many ways, he was an absolute contradiction to his running mate, Dr. Garret FitzGerald. Joe Doyle's observations on the high movements of the then Taoiseach were personal and unusual at times. He had his own way of putting his view across. It was a pleasure to know him and to have served with him in the House.
He hated unparliamentary language. For people who told stories in which unparliamentary language might have been part, he would either recall them in horror or mock horror. As leader of my party, I feel his loss is not just to politics but as a role model, the epitome of public service to one's constituents. Joe Doyle knew all his constituency's streets and laneways and his constituents by their first names, always there to greet them on so many occasions.
It is not easy to paint a picture for people who did not know Joe Doyle. When I listened to his son, David, speak about his father, he put it in a way that no one else could. He said his father was an extraordinary man of deep faith and conviction, which he was, and had poured out his faith through his actions, which he did. Joe had an absolute devotion to Lourdes. He actually proposed to Peggy when he was there once, a story he was always willing to tell. I listened to David's final words about his father, which I would like to quote as they epitomise the Joe Doyle I knew who served on Dublin City Council, in the Dáil on two occasions and in the Seanad on two occasions, a deeply Christian man devoted to his constituents. David Doyle put it this way, "Dad, a Dublin man, a Donnybrook man, a church man, a Lourdes man, a Fine Gael man, a true Christian gentleman, my best friend, my father". He is a loss to his wife and family, to politics, to the people of the constituency and to Dublin, but he set a standard that others can follow in the knowledge that that kind of representation is the true epitome of what public service really is.
Tá áthas orm gur chas mé air agus tá súil agam gur thuas sna flaithis atá sé. Tá seans i bhfad níos fearr aige ná mar atá ag duine ar bith eile mar bhí cúram aige ar an eaglais i nDomhnach Broc le níos mó ná 30 bliain. Má tá seans ag duine ar bith a bheith thuas leis an bhfear sna flaithis, sílim go bhfuil Joe ann.
I join Deputy Kenny in paying tribute to Joe Doyle who was a true gentleman in Irish politics. On behalf of my party and the Government, I extend my sincere condolences to Joe's wife, Peggy, and to his children, David, Michael and Róisín. I would also like to extend sympathy to Deputy Kenny and the Fine Gael Party on the loss of a former distinguished colleague.
Joe Doyle was a man of integrity, dignity and conviction who first entered this House following the election of November 1982. That was the last of three elections within 18 months and Joe contested all of them. During those 18 months he more than doubled his vote, which was not an insignificant achievement when one considers that one of his running mates was Dr. Garret FitzGerald, the then leader of the Fine Gael Party. Notwithstanding sharing the constituency with such a prominent party colleague, Joe was not overshadowed. After all, he had been born and bred in his constituency of Dublin South-East. He knew his area and it knew him. His father had worked with the Dublin United Tramways Company and the family lived in a house which that company had built for its employees just behind the tram sheds in Simmonscourt Terrace. I understand the family still lives there to this day.
Joe Doyle was very much a man of his community. Before his election to the Dáil, as Deputy Kenny said, he served as the sacristan in the Church of the Sacred Heart in Donnybrook for almost three decades. While he was a Fine Gael stalwart and loyalist, Joe Doyle was also his own man with his own distinct views. His contribution to the many debates, some referred to by Deputy Kenny, were clear-eyed yet compassionate. He illustrated his strong beliefs and his practical approach. He contested his fourth general election in six years in 1987. Unfortunately he did not make it back to the Dáil then, but he did return, alongside Garret FitzGerald, in 1989 and served until 1992. In all he contested seven general elections in 16 years and he served two terms in Seanad Éireann. As an electoral candidate he experienced both victory and defeat, but whatever the outcome he always retained his own dignity.
While we knew him as a national politician he also served with distinction on Dublin City Council for a quarter of a century. No doubt the highlight of his career at this time was when he served as Dublin's Lord Mayor in 1998-99. His year in the Mansion House coincided with many immigrants coming to this city. He, as a native Dubliner, was quick to speak out against those shrill voices who did not welcome the new arrivals as they should.
In essence, Joe Doyle was a kind and thoughtful man who gave politics a good name. He served with distinction and integrity. As Deputy Kenny said, we recall our many encounters with him on this side of the House also, both within and around the environs of the House. We enjoyed many a day — as Deputy Kenny said, he was a good partner in crime — when we were on the racecourse together.
On behalf of the Labour Party and my own behalf, I join Deputy Kenny and the Taoiseach in expressing our sympathy on the death of Joe Doyle, a former colleague in the Dáil, a former Member of the Seanad, a former Lord Mayor of Dublin and a former city councillor. I want, in particular, to extend our sympathy to Peggy, his widow, his sons, David and Michael, his daughter, Róisín, their extended family and also to Deputy Kenny and the Fine Gael Party.
Joe Doyle was a gentleman and he was a credit to politics. As the Taoiseach said, he was a public representative who gave politics a good name. He was somebody to be greatly emulated. He was an outstanding representative for people he represented on Dublin City Council and in his constituency when he served in the Dáil and in the Seanad.
I had the privilege of getting to know Joe after I was elected to the Dáil in 1989. The route I take to Leinster House from Shankill brings me through Donnybrook and when I saw Joe occasionally waiting at the bus stop near Donnybrook church, I picked him up. Depending on the traffic we had the opportunity to have conversations about many issues. While we would not have agreed on some of the big social controversies of the day, I found that I had a great deal in common with Joe — his commitment, in particular, to working for people who were less well off, his commitment to his constituents and, most of all, his sincerity . Everything about Joe Doyle was about a man who was absolutely sincere in what he believed. He believed in what we was doing as a public representative. He was absolutely committed in his religious convictions and in his views. He was a great man and somebody who is a great loss, both to politics and to life.
Mar a dúirt an Teachta Kenny, mura bhfuil Joe Doyle ar dheis Dé, níl seans ar bith ag an chuid eile againn.
On behalf of the Green Party and my colleague, the Minister for Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Deputy Gormley, who cannot be hear this morning, I want to pay our respects to Joe Doyle and to extend our sympathies to his wife, Peggy, his daughter, Róisín, and sons, David and Michael.
I had the great fortune of knowing Joe Doyle. I served on the city council with him for five years. Three thoughts came to my mind when I thought of how I would describe him. He was a man of standing. I mean that literally in describing the way he would speak. He spoke in a clear and proper manner, confident in his honesty and views, even if they were not popular or the views of the day. He stood and spoke in a way that had real authority and standing. He was a man of physical stature in how he stood and spoke in a council chamber where I saw him speak.
He smiled a lot. He smiled at his own humour. I recall one simple incident. There is a very nice small council housing development in Ranelagh. He made some quip to the effect that if one got in there, one would have already got to heaven. He kept smiling after he made that nice quip. He had a good sense of humour.
He was also very successful. I was the director of elections for Minister Gormley's campaign in 1989. Joe achieved quite a trick, his constituency was divided between him and Garret FitzGerald. Joe was very much part of the team but still his own man. For his party to win two seats in a very tight election was a remarkable achievement. He was also a successful and capable councillor and Lord Mayor, as I witnessed. I had the fortune to join the council when he became Lord Mayor. He worked with the county manager, the council and the officials in an effective way. One could do a deal with Joe Doyle. As well as being a man of principle and standing, he also knew how to work and to do what politicians do, namely, to seek compromises and solutions.
On behalf of our party, I want to mark that huge public service he gave and to honour the man.
On behalf of the Sinn Féin Dáil Deputies and our sole Member of the Seanad, I join in the expressions of sympathy and to convey our condolences to the widow, sons and daughter and extended family of the late Deputy, Senator and councillor Joe Doyle who rose to the eminent position of the honorary first citizen of his native city.
I did not have the opportunity of serving with the late Mr. Doyle in any of his varied representative roles over a long period of public service, but I met him on a number occasions and always found him a most pleasant person to speak with in the brief opportunities that presented. No doubt the reflections of other colleagues here this morning who had the privilege to work with him directly in this and in other chambers is an honest reflection of the true man that he was. I wish, again, to extend our sincerest sympathy to his family and to the extended Doyle family on their personal great loss, and also to extend to Deputy Kenny and the Fine Gael Party our sympathy on its loss as a party.
I was very sad to hear of the loss of Joe in August. It was the loss of a great parliamentarian, a proud Dubliner, a great family man and a truly wonderful human being, and my sincere sympathies go to Peggy, to David, to Michael and to Róisín, and to all of the extended family. I was particularly sorry that I could not attend Joe's funeral because I was out of the country at the time of his death, and that was a matter of deep regret to me.
I recall Joe clearly from my first Fine Gael meetings well over ten years ago. What stood out for me was the power and sincerity of Joe's conviction. He never sat on the fence and he always stood by his beliefs and his principles. He was an inspiration to me and to all young and aspiring parliamentarians and politicians. In a world of what is sometimes cynical consensus and political correctness, Joe was not afraid to stand out.
His terms as a councillor, as a Senator, as a Deputy and, particularly, as Lord Mayor of Dublin epitomised the spirit of selfless and principled public service which defined Joe Doyle, and my party leader, Deputy Kenny, referred to that eloquently. He was a proud Christian Democrat in the true sense of that label. He took principled positions on issues such as abortion and contraception against a flurry of both political and media opposition at the time. Joe, as always, stood his ground and followed his conscience and many politicians in this House, and, indeed, in other walks of life today, could learn from that.
Joe's involvement and his years of service in our mutual parish church in Donnybrook were also a testament to the ethos of public service that he espoused. Everyone in Donnybrook speaks highly and fondly of Joe and the sterling work that he did for the parish. Today Donnybrook is a thriving parish with high Mass attendance, and I believe that this is a testament in no small part to the significant service of Joe Doyle in the parish over an extended period, and particularly during his period as sacristan.
On a personal level, Joe Doyle was a wonderful mentor and an imparter of wisdom to me. When I first embarked on my political journey, which eventually saw me succeeding Joe on Dublin City Council in 2004, his encouragement, help and assistance were invaluable to me. Joe was always available to advise and guide in his characteristically giving and generous fashion. Joe Doyle was not simply a Christian Democrat but, more importantly, a true Christian.
Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam dílis.
I shared the constituency of Dublin South-East with Joe for many years and was on the city council for a period of time with him. My memory of him, reinforced by the comments that have already been made here this morning, is of an immensely happy, cheerful man. He could not have been like that all of the time — none of us could be — but he was far more happy for most of us than we ourselves were much of the time. He had what Deputy Eamon Ryan referred to as this strange sense of humour. I remember that when he told me inside in the Members' Bar that the reason he did not drive was because he had epilepsy it was a revelation to me, and I asked him how did he survive. He survived the way Deputy Kenny described, and could not have survived at all without Peggy — Joe was the first to say it.
At a time when politicians have been given a bad name by the misbehaviour of a minority, Joe is a model of the kind of person that we would like to see come into politics. Many people from all sides of this House, including the Minister of State, Deputy Pat Carey, who served on Dublin City Council with Joe would agree that one knew where Joe stood on most matters and one also knew when Joe was ready to do business. That business was honoured and was never reneged upon. One could trust it. One could trust it in the council of City Hall and one could trust it here. This will, I hope, resonate with everybody in this House. We all share constituencies with other colleagues, some of whom we can work with. Some make us nervous. Joe never made me nervous. Joe never made any of us in the Labour Party nervous. We knew exactly where we were with him, and he with us.
In particular, Councillor Dermot Lacey, who wrote a wonderful piece in our local newspaper, News 4, reinforced the comment made by Deputy Ryan about Joe’s great moment when he was Lord Mayor and when this city, perhaps for the first time in a generation if not even longer, suddenly experienced an influx of newcomers, as they are called, new people who sought refuge in the city for whatever reason. There was a resentment, a reaction, a fear, but Joe was not afraid. Instead, as Lord Mayor, he went to the trouble of ensuring that Dublin City Council would issue information leaflets in the languages of the newcomers so that they would not be lost or become strangers in this city. We know that newcomers at different generations have provided great wealth and encouragement to this nation, and Joe saw that. His Christian faith and his Christian Democratic credentials, to which Deputy Creighton referred, informed that kind of action and he reached out to the newcomers as the first citizen of this city. It is a tribute to him, and it is the epitome of the kind of man he was.
I never served in the Houses of the Oireachtas with Joe Doyle, but I served on Dublin City Council and everything that has been said is so true and accurate. They say that nice people do not succeed in politics, but in many ways Joe Doyle disproved this cliché. We all get into politics to make a positive difference and it is safe to say that Joe Doyle made a positive difference. He made a big difference within his community, within the wider community and within the body politic, which is so important.
I was elected onto Dublin City Council in 1999 with Joe Doyle. He never took advantage of my novice status on Dublin City Council despite my giving him plenty of opportunity to do so. Joe loved people and loved Donnybrook, and people loved Joe Doyle. He raised the bar on the body politic, and on standards in politics. As Deputy Creighton stated, he is an example to all in politics.
I wish to express my deep sympathy to Peggy, to David, to Michael and to Róisín.
Members rose.