Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 2 Dec 2010

Vol. 723 No. 5

Tributes to Head Usher of the Houses of the Oireachtas

An Ceann Comhairle

Before coming to the Order of Business, I draw the attention of the House to a particular matter. Today represents the last day in which the Head Usher, Mr. Shay Byrne, will play a part in the proceedings of this House, having served the Houses and its Members for more than 38 years. Shay commenced his working career in the Houses of the Oireachtas in April 1973. He has been a quiet observer of many changes during the years, witnessing the euphoria of elections and the hard realities of defeat of Government and Members alike.

Shay has looked after the interests and needs of all Members with courtesy and respect. Any problem needing attention or requests for assistance were dealt with quietly. Regardless of the problems, there were always solutions. Shay's ability to attain the highest level in the usher grade is a testament to his abilities as a communicator and his dedication to and pride in his work. I take this opportunity to wish Shay and his colleague, Liam Lynch, who following ten years of dedicated service also retires today from the ranks of parliamentary usher, well. I wish them the best for the future. May they both enjoy many years of happy retirement.

Deputies

Hear, hear.

The Tánaiste

The Head Usher might perhaps have made a better go it over the years than have some of us. On behalf of the Government and Fianna Fáil Party, I thank Shay for his considerable public service. He is a true professional who has, as all of us know, walked in the true traditions of this House in terms of his kindness, care, good humour and can-do attitude. Shay has had a considerable career in the Houses of the Oireachtas and has achieved the highest accolade that can be achieved here. He has served under many taoisigh in his 38 years of service to this House. I know that Shay is a Manchester United supporter and a great supporter of the Dubs. Given that his wife is from Kerry I am sure there are differences of opinion at home on occasion. I wish Shay, Ger, James and Rachel well. We wish him every success in his retirement and thank him most sincerely for caring for us mere temporary staff in this House.

I also thank Liam Lynch for his considerable professionalism and can-do attitude in the traditions of this House. I wish him and his family well in his retirement. Go neiri an t-ádh libh.

Deputy Enda Kenny

This is unusual. I join with the Tánaiste and other Members in wishing the two gentlemen who are retiring every good fortune in the times ahead. Liam Lynch has been a regular receiver of people at Leinster House 2000 for the past number of years. He is a craftsman in terms of his wielding of the knife in the butcher business and could teach many of us lessons in regard to cuts. This is his last day and Shay retires tomorrow.

I have known Shay Byrne since I entered the House. He arrived from an institution on Mount Street a short time before that and he had an interest in the well-being of a former Taoiseach. Shay Byrne was one of the first technocrats or technologists when he arrived in Leinster House because in the corridor outside there was an old battered photocopier and when the State rose to being economically solvent, a new photocopier was purchased and he was the first person in the Houses of the Oireachtas to be able to photocopy on two sides of the one page. There were Members who were into recycling and efficiency long before others who said, "There is a man down there and he can photocopy on two sides of the one page". That was fine until a predecessor of the Ceann Comhairle's issued an order limiting the number of photocopies any person could make. Shortly after he left that exalted seat, he sent an order down to the same Shay Byrne for a huge number of photocopies and Mr. Byrne had to say to him, "Unfortunately, you handed down an edict and I cannot give you any more".

Shay was an observer of business through all the other Head Ushers over the years such as Peadar Lawless. His greatest achievement was not just in serving the Members of all parties and none but the way he conducted himself with decorum, dignity and treated every person who came through the gates with respect. That is an outstanding hallmark for those who follow him, given his attitude and his exemplary work. When he looks back on his time, the highlight will not be the 40 years of back slapping, craw thumping, whingeing and moaning and roaring and shouting that goes on in the House and its environs but the sublime skill he displayed at Old Trafford, the hallowed ground of Manchester United, when he wore the No. 7 shirt and demonstrated that Shay Byrne, Head Usher of the Houses of the Oireachtas, could play in any exalted company and did. Good luck to him and his wife and family.

Deputy Eamon Gilmore

On my own behalf and on behalf of my colleagues in the Labour Party, I pay tribute to both Shay Byrne and Liam Lynch, who are leaving the service of Leinster House this week. I knew Liam Lynch before he joined the staff and even before I entered the House because he is a constituent and I knew of his skills in his previous craft with a knife. These skills are very useful in Leinster House, although I have to confess that I never saw or heard of Liam exercising them. I thank him for his service and for his courtesy at all times to me and to my colleagues.

I want to pay tribute, in particular, to Shay Byrne because of his length of service in the House and because he achieved the office of Head Usher and I thank him on my own behalf and on behalf of my colleagues. I recall when I entered the House, Shay was in the post room at the time and he was extremely helpful in showing me, as I am sure he showed other Members, the way around the corridors, how to get things done, where things were and so on. Sometimes new Deputies have to rely on the advice and help of the ushers and the staff of the Houses more than on that of their colleagues to find their way and to find out the tricks of the trade.

Deputy Seán Sherlock

The Deputy can sing that.

Deputy Eamon Gilmore

I thank Shay for that. In particular, I also want to thank Shay, Liam and all the ushers because all of us have the experience of bringing visitors to the House and the courtesy and professionalism with which visitors are treated is outstanding. I wish Shay and Liam every success for the future.

Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin

On behalf of the Sinn Féin Deputies, I join colleagues in extending our warmest good wishes to Shay Byrne and Liam Lynch on their retirement from the service of the Houses of the Oireachtas this week. Over my 13 plus years here, Shay has epitomised the graciousness that is a quality of all the usher staff here and I do not only mean to the Members of both Houses. As Deputy Gilmore mentioned, this is reflected time after time by constituents who access what is in the end of the day not Tithe an Oireachtais but teach na ndaoine, the people's House. The ushers are courteous and devote time to engage with and host various visiting groups — be they school or disabilities groups — and members of the public who come on tours to witness the work and the business of these Houses and, without question, it has been my experience always that they are very grateful for the way they are received. That is a tremendous tribute to Shay as Head Usher in his time in that role and through all the years of service he has given.

I arrived in the House on my own with nobody from my party here before me and the ushers, as I have recorded previously, helped me find my feet and my way around this institution and I am always grateful for that. Liam Lynch has been a particular treat different mornings coming here. He always has something humorous to share or a comment to make that would lift one. He has a positive outlook on all of life's challenges and even on the greater difficulties of the more recent past and today. He still meets Members in good humour and he will certainly be missed here.

On behalf of myself and the Sinn Féin team, I wish Shay and Liam many years of health and happiness to enjoy their retirement.

Deputy Finian McGrath

On behalf of the Independent Members, I thank and commend Shay and Liam for their magnificent work and service over many years. Since I was elected, I have found Shay friendly, warm, courteous and supportive and I concur with the comments about his support for new Members. The standards and ethics of public servants like Liam and Shay should be acknowledged as well as the great service they provide, particularly in the current climate where there is a great deal of hostility towards public servants. It is important to acknowledge people like them who have made a massive contribution to the running and efficiency of the Oireachtas.

I always found Shay courteous and friendly when bringing in visitors. As someone who has had many disability groups in, I have found him supportive and helpful.

Reference was made to the famous Manchester United trip.

Deputy Enda Kenny

The Deputy was substituted.

Deputy Finian McGrath

I was part of that team in 2003 and the trip was organised by Deputy Deenihan. The Minister for Justice and Law Reform was there as well but he came off injured. He had a dodgy leg.

Deputy Dermot Ahern

Thanks for reminding me.

Deputy Finian McGrath

He got ten minutes on the hallowed ground. Shay was part of that squad and we had a magnificent night in Manchester but I had better not say what time we went to bed and so on or I could get myself into major trouble. Deputy Deenihan and Pat Crerand from Manchester United were the main organisers. It was fantastic even though we lost the match against the House of Commons 2-1.

Deputy Dermot Ahern

We had a genuine team.

Deputy Finian McGrath

I thank Shay for his magnificent work and service and I wish him and Liam well in the future.

Deputy Paul Gogarty

On behalf of the Green Party, I wish Shay and Liam all the best for their future active retirement. I hope they will continue in the same vein, spend time with their families and keep active.

I was also a member of the famous squad referred to at Old Trafford. I wore the GAA jersey on that day. It would be remiss not to mention the cracker of a goal scored——

(Interruptions).

An Ceann Comhairle

Deputies, please.

Deputy Paul Gogarty

The Opposition Deputies should be listening to this because I am paying tribute to the cracker of a goal scored by Deputy Damien English. Shay has been involved in sporting activities with the Houses of the Oireachtas over the years; most recently there was a game between the ushers and a parliamentary selection in aid of the homeless world cup team. I hope that he stays involved in his charitable activities.

Roger Garland was the first Green Party Deputy and he was elected in 1989. Shay has seen the back of a lot of us. It is sad to see the back of him because of the courtesy and the professionalism he has always shown. If anyone wanted to see a model usher for the Houses of the Oireachtas, I think Shay and Liam are it. I wish them the very best in the future.