Vol. 149 No. 18
I have to announce that the following Member has been elected to fill the casual vacancy in the membership of the Seanad to which the Resolution of Seanad Éireann on 17 December 1996 has reference — Agricultural Panel, Oireachtas Sub-Panel: Denis Naughten.
Senator Naughten was introduced to the Cathaoirleach and then took his seat.
It is a source of great pleasure to congratulate and welcome Senator Denis Naughten to the House. His election is a tribute to the respect and affection in which his late father was held. It was also a tribute to Senator Denis Naughten. He was elected in his own right and he has the makings of a first class politician. He is a welcome addition to the House and I wish him well.
I join the Leader of the House in extending congratulations and good wishes to our newly elected colleague, Senator Denis Naughten. It has been an eventful week for Denis. On Monday he was co-opted to Roscommon County Council, yesterday he was elected a Member of Seanad Éireann and today he takes his seat as the newest and youngest Member of the House.
I wish Denis a long and successful political career. He follows in a proud and honourable tradition. I had the privilege and pleasure of serving with his father on Roscommon County Council for over 22 years and in the Oireachtas since 1981. The many well deserved tributes which were paid to the late Liam Naughten are on the record and need not be repeated. Denis will uphold the same high standards and will serve his area, county, country and party with the same loyalty and dedication as his late father. I wish him well for the future and I look forward to working with him.
On behalf of the Independent Senators, I welcome Senator Denis Naughten to local and national politics. We wish him the best in his political career, mindful of the sad circumstances which led to this occasion. The Senator has big footsteps to follow, although I am sure he will tread his own road. We will offer the Senator every support where we can.
On behalf of the Progressive Democrats I congratulate Senator Naughten on his resounding success. He had a comfortable majority and it is nice to see the Naughten name represented in the House. I wish the Senator well for his term in the Seanad and in his future political career. I hope it will not be too short a time before he must contest another election, although we all face that prospect in the near future. I am sure Senator Naughten will be an addition to the House and we look forward to working with him in the future.
On behalf of the Labour Party, I welcome Senator Denis Naughten to the Seanad. In his father, Senator Naughten has a fine example to follow and I do not doubt that he will fill his shoes extremely well. I congratulate him on a resounding victory in the election. I welcome the fact that the Senator is a young Member of the House. Upper Houses of Parliament tend to be seen as bastions of senior citizens and elder statesmen——
Never.
There is only one Senator McGowan.
This is not true of this House, but I welcome the fact that we have a young person joining us. Other young Members, such as Senator Hayes, Senator Gallagher and Senator Kelleher, will be glad to have a young colleague.
And yourself.
Unfortunately, I have joined the ranks of the middle aged. However, it is generous of my colleague. I welcome Senator Naughten and I hope he will enjoy serving in the House.
I join the Leader and other speakers in welcoming Senator Denis Naughten. I observed him approaching the Cathaoirleach to receive his welcome and I saw the same smile on his face as that of his late father. I have no doubt Senator Denis Naughten will be a worthy successor. He has the same confidence and smile of his father and, judging by the tremendous support he has received, he might be a strong contender for a seat in the Lower House. His name will last a long time on the Irish political scene.
It is a great honour and a privilege to welcome and congratulate Senator Denis Naughten. We come from the same constituency and I was a close, personal friend of his father. Denis received a resounding vote. The Opposition had to put forward a candidate but that is democracy. I know that they will join with everyone else in wishing Denis well. I look forward to working with him in this House and in the constituency.
I also congratulate Denis Naughten on his election to Seanad Éireann and to Roscommon County Council. Many people consider that Senators are on the way up or on the way out.
Some of us are here to stay.
I have no doubt that Denis Naughten is in the first category and wish him well. I had the pleasure of working with his father for 17 years in County Roscommon. We were on opposite political sides but we always maintained a good personal friendship. I hope that our two families will be able to continue that tradition.
I would like to join with all of the good wishes to Senator Naughten.
