Seanad Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 12 Nov 1969

Vol. 67 No. 2

Election of Leas-Chathaoirleach.

Mr. O'Higgins

I move:

That Senator James C.I. Dooge be elected Leas-Chathaoirleach.

I have great pleasure in proposing that Senator James Dooge be elected Leas-Chathaoirleach of the Seanad. Members of the House who were Members of the last Seanad will have known Senator Dooge in his capacity at that time of Leas-Chathaoirleach of this House. I claim without fear of contradiction from any Member of the House that Senator Dooge proved himself to be a person of great amiability during the days of the last Seanad. He proved himself to be fit and suitable for the task of acting in the Chair of this House.

I should apologise in that I am suffering from 'flu and cannot do justice to what I wish to say with regard to Senator Dooge. Senator Dooge is well known to the House for his impartiality in the conduct of the proceedings of the House. He has had experience in that office already and prior to that he had the experience of acting as Chairman of one of the foremost county councils in the country, namely, the Dublin County Council. In addition to his own merits as Chairman, Senator Dooge has also the advantage of being able to conduct the proceedings of the House in both the first and the second official languages of the country. He is a fluent Irish speaker and although I do not regard that as a necessary qualification for the particular post we are discussing, I do not think anybody will disagree with me when I say that it is desirable that whoever occupies the Chair should be in a position to follow the proceedings in both official languages. Senator Dooge is in a position to do that. I warmly commend him to the House for appointment as Leas-Chathaoirleach.

Mr. McDonald

It gives me great pleasure formally to second the motion proposed by Senator O'Higgins that Senator Dooge be appointed Leas-Chathaoirleach of the Seanad. Since he was first elected to this position in 1965, Senator Dooge has proved his impartiality. He presided over the deliberations of the last Seanad, when he was called on to do so, with great impartiality. I cannot remember any time during the past four years when any of his rulings was questioned and it would be appropriate to have this happy relationship continued.

Professor Quinlan

Ba mhaith liom cuidiú leis an moladh.

It is a great pleasure to support the nomination of my colleague Senator Dooge as Leas-Chathaoirleach. There is no need to speak of his fitness for the post to Members who were present during the last Seanad. It is a source of great satisfaction to us that he is with us again and that he can assume the post of Leas-Chathaoirleach once more.

Above all, Senator Dooge has demonstrated that it is possible to combine both a public and an academic career because while he is known to Members here as an excellent statesman, members of the engineering profession at home and abroad know Senator Dooge as Professor Dooge the scientist who has contributed a great deal to his profession. Consequently, his example is one we can commend to the younger generation of academic people in the country. Their work in the university need not suffer. Indeed, it would be greatly enhanced by having the public spiritedness to give what they can where they can in public life. That is why I also think that Senator Dooge symbolises so much for us. I have great pleasure as a colleague of his both in academic life and in the Seanad in supporting wholeheartedly his nomination.

Professor Kelly

Ba mhaith liomsa cuidiú leis an dtairiscint áat os comhair an Tí go dtoghfar an Seanadóir Séamas Ó Dubhaigh mar Leas-Chathaoirleach. Mar tá a fhios ag an Teach, bhí sé ina Leas-Chathaoirleach ar an Seanad cheana. Theaspáin sé lena linn sin go raibh sé fíor-oiriúnach don phost sin.

Dr. Sheehy Skeffington

I should like to associate myself with this proposal and to agree with all which has been said. Our experience of Senator Dooge has been of a very efficient vice-chairman who knew his procedure well. I might also say that he was a vice-chairman of good-humour and fair-mindedness. All of us who have had experience of his chairmanship have found him to be both impartial and firm. Firmness is one of the qualities that we look for. I am certain that we have got in Senator Professor Dooge a first-class vice-chairman.

I should like also, speaking as a Dubliner, to express my satisfaction that he returns to us from exile in the City of Cork. I am glad to see that Dublin is welcoming him back and that we will consequently have the pleasure of his living among us again as well as of functioning here as vice-chairman.

Question put and agreed to.

Professor Dooge

Tá mé thar a bheith buíoch agus mé ceaptha don dara uair mar Leas-Chathaoirleach. Tá mé buíoch do na Seanadóirí a labhair ar mo shon agus buíoch freisin do na Seanadóirí nár labhair im choinne. It is customary on an occasion like this to say that the office to which I have just been elected is one which cannot be properly carried on without the co-operation of all Members of the Seanad. This is no mere empty cliché. I can say from my experience how true it is and I can readily say that such co-operation was forthcoming during the last Seanad. You, a Chathaoirleach, expressed the hope last week that the spirit which permeated the proceedings of the Seanad in the past would continue in the present House. May I echo that wish? It is true to say there will be in the lifetime of this Seanad minor incidents from time to time. Let us hope these incidents will serve only to illuminate by contrast the general dignity and decorum of our proceedings.