Before we commence the item before us this evening, I have just heard that Senator Mary Robinson, our distinguished colleague with long service in this House, has been declared Mayo Person of the Year and I want to express mu heartiest congratulations to her. I am absolutely delighted for her. It is a well-deserved honour and I am delighted that it has come from Mayo. I wish her great happiness in the year ahead. These awards may seem small but they are terribly important. I am delighted for Senator Robinson.
Business of Seanad.
I wish to join with the Cathaoirleach in congratulating Senator Mary Robinson on this distinguished honour she has received. The Minister is from Mayo and he knows it is a very important county. It is a wonderful honour for the Senator and I hope that she enjoys every day as Mayo Person of the Year.
On behalf of the Fine Gael Party I should like to add our sincere congratulations to Senator Robinson on this well earned award. I am sure she will fill the position with distinction. She follows a very fine line of previous recipients of this award. It will certainly highlight the granting of the award and I sincerely congratulate her personally and on behalf of the Fine Gael Party.
I want to join with the Cathaoirleach in extending to our colleague, Senator Mary Robinson, our very best wishes and congratulations on receiving this great honour. Senator Robinson has achieved many honours in her time. She has achieved honour at European level and at national level in the past and it is only fitting that her native county would so honour her at this stage in her career, which has been a tremendous career for a lady with a lot of courage. She has never been afraid to express her views on all sorts of subjects, on which she is an expert. Other high office-holders in this country have already been conferred with this honour and there is no better person than Senator Robinson to receive it on this occasion.
I, too, as a fellow Trinity graduate, offer sincere congratulations to Senator Mary Robinson. Given the previous recipients of the award, she is in very good company.
As co-ordinator of the Independent group we consider ourselves to be asking in the reflected glory. To be honoured in one's own place is the highest honour of all because that is always the most difficult one to achieve. I am sure Senator Mary Robinson knows that better than most having fought the county through two referenda down through the years. I congratulate the Senator. I see the Minister of State looking askance at me. I can supply chapter and verse if he wishes to hear more on it.
With the permission of the Cathaoirleach, may I also offer my congratulations to Senator Robinson on the very well deserved distinction. As Senator Haughey has said, she is in very good company. She has had a very distinguished and long career, both politically and legally. As a fellow Mayo person I offer her my sincere congratulations. I have known Senator Robinson for probably longer than anybody here — I do not think either of us would like to go back to the length of time we know each other. Because of that it is very gratifying to see somebody who has had such a distinguished career from Mayo still being honoured by the Mayo Association. I offer my sincere congratulations to her.
Before I call Senator Robinson, I am sure the Clerk and the Assistant Clerk of the Seanad would like to be associated with the remarks.
I thank the Cathaoirleach, the Minister, my colleagues and friends. I am very touched indeed at the acknowledgement of the honour that has been given me. I was very surprised when I was contacted and told that I had been chosen as Mayo Person of the Year and I felt particularly pleased because as Senator O'Toole said it was from my own people, my own county. That is probably more precious than any other type of acknowledgement or any other type of honour that might come.
Indeed, as the Minister will appreciate, I felt very much that I should respond as Mary Bourke. It was Mary Bourke who grew up in and has stayed very close to Ballina and to Mayo generally. It is a very favoured place with my children. My roots there are extremely strong and very well nurtured and will continue to be very strong and very well nurtured. There is a value in having a place that I have known all my life, that I visit very frequently, where I know all the people and where I have kept very closely in touch. It is an enormous resource and tremendous way of reflecting on the country in general and on what I am about. It is a very strong connection. I am delighted to share the honour with the Bonniconlon Community Council who got the group medal award for 1989. That also gave me particular pleasure.