Seanad Éireann debate -
Thursday, 4 Apr 2002

Vol. 169 No. 18

Resignation of Member.

An Cathaoirleach

Fograím don Seanad go bhfuair me teachtaireacht ón Seanadóir Tomás Mac Gearailt go bhfuil sé ag éirí as bheith ina Chomhalta den Seanad.

I announce to the Seanad that I have received notice in writing from Senator Tom Fitzgerald of his resignation from the House. When Senator Fitzgerald told me a few days ago that he was stepping down from the Seanad for health reasons, I felt a great sadness. Nobody was more aware than I of how much a part of Senator Fitzgerald's life was his membership of this House. He enjoyed every minute of his time here and until a few weeks ago he was looking forward to contesting the next Seanad election. He was a totally committed and dedicated Senator. His contributions to debates were always well informed and laced with common sense, never more so than when he spoke on matters pertaining to the marine.

As Government Chief Whip, Senator Fitzgerald made an outstanding contribution to this Seanad. His good humour, patience and understanding and above all his absolute integrity gained for him the respect, loyalty and affection of Members on all sides of the House. We all owe him a great debt of gratitude. On my own behalf and on behalf of the entire staff of the Seanad and, I am sure, on behalf of all of you, I thank Senator Fitzgerald for his contribution over the years and wish him well. I am aware of how difficult his decision must have been. I sincerely trust that the excellent medical care he continues to receive will in due course see him restored to full health. Gura fada buan thú, Tom.

As this may be the last sitting of the Seanad before the general election, I wish to say that it has been a great honour and privilege for me to have served as Cathaoirleach over the past four and a half years. I express my sincere thanks to all of you for your co-operation, support and assistance over those years. I wish those of you who are seeking election to the other House good luck and every success.

I expect that I will have a further opportunity to extend good wishes to all those Senators who will in due course be seeking re-election to this House or who will be retiring, as I will be, from active service. When that opportunity comes, I will also pay a well-deserved tribute to all the staff of the Seanad. However, today I acknowledge my admiration for and appreciation of the professionalism and dedication of the Clerk and Assistant Clerk and I thank them for their huge contribution to the efficient working of this Seanad. I will say more about that on another day. I now call on the Leader of the House and the other leaders as I know they wish, on behalf of their respective groups, to pay tribute to Senator Fitzgerald.

Mr. Cassidy

I have been asked by Senator Fitzgerald to read out the following letter:

It is with great regret that I have today decided to resign as Government Chief Whip and as a Member of Seanad Éireann due to health reasons.

I first stood for the Seanad in 1977 but was unsuccessful. I was, however, successful in getting elected in 1981 and 1982 but lost again in 1982 and was re-elected in 1987 until 1997 when after losing the last Seanad election I was nominated by the Taoiseach and have served in the Seanad as Government Chief Whip to the present day.

I thank all those whom I have met and have worked with over the years in both Houses of the Oireachtas, particularly the Cathaoirleach and Leas-Chathaoirleach and their secretaries, the clerk and assistant clerk of the Seanad and their staff, the gardaí, the ushers and security, the Captain of the Guard and the Superintendent, and all the reporters from radio, television and the newspapers.

To all the Members of Seanad Éireann, I say how privileged I am to have known you all and to have worked with you. I thank you for your courtesy and co-operation at all times. In particular I thank the leaders and whips of Fine Gael, the Independent group and the Labour Party. I thank the Leader of the Seanad, who has been a great friend, the assistant leader, Senator John Dardis, the Chief Whip in my absence, Senator Willie Farrell, and acting assistant whip, Senator Pat Moylan. My sincere thanks to all the Fianna Fáil and Progressive Democrats Senators who make up the Government side of the House.

I wish a very sincere thanks to my secretary, Ellen Byrne, who has been a great friend and secretary over the years.

Coming to the decision of resigning from the Seanad was not easy and, in that respect, I thank my wife, Bridie, and my family Tommy, Siobhán, Michelle and Breandán, for their understanding and consideration in helping me to come to this decision. I will miss Seanad Éireann and will remember my time there with pride. I wish all who are going for election to either House every success and those who are retiring a long, healthy and happy life. God bless you all and slán go fóill from Senator Tom Fitzgerald.

As Leader of the House, I express my warmest good wishes to Senator Fitzgerald and his family for a long and happy retirement. I have known Tom on a personal level for many years and will remember him not only for his commitment to Seanad Éireann, but for his love and dedication to his favourite place, Dingle. He always told us what a great place it was, with fine fishing and a beautiful harbour. Tom made many important contributions in this House but his greatest was to the Harbours Bill, which was brought before the House by the then Minister of State, Deputy Gilmore. Tom felt very strongly about this issue and was successful in having 15 amendments accepted, an unprecedented occurrence at the time. One amendment involved the conveying of radioactive waste and, as a result, all our harbours are today nuclear free.

A committed parliamentarian, Senator Fitzgerald was also a champion of environmental issues and in the late 1980s was instrumental in introducing a motion in the House that called for a ban on strychnine. This motion was passed and was later accepted by the Government and became law.

Tom was proud of his heritage and culture and took every opportunity to promote the use of the Irish language. He was cathaoirleach of the Irish language committee and made many major contributions to it.

As Leader of Seanad Éireann, I am proud to have had the honour of serving with Senator Tom Fitzgerald and to have benefited from the wealth of experience he gained from his many years as Assistant Whip and Chief Whip. Many Senators will recall that Tom was first appointed Assistant Whip in 1991 by his great friend, the then Taoiseach, Charles J. Haughey, and served with former Senator Wright, who was Chief Whip, and the late Senator Seán Fallon, who was Leader of the House at the time. He was reappointed by the Taoiseach, Deputy Albert Reynolds, in 1992 and served with the current Cathaoirleach, who was Chief Whip, and former Senator Wright, who was Leader of the House. In 1997 he was appointed Chief Whip by the Taoiseach, Deputy Bertie Ahern, with Senator Farrell as his assistant and me as Leader. During our time together, Senator Fitzgerald has shown himself to be a person of great integrity, loyalty and diligence with a total dedication and commitment to Seanad Éireann. He never failed to offer support, advice and assistance to all who called on him. I will miss him for his support and good humour.

On behalf of the Fianna Fáil group and all Senators, I wish him well in his retirement. To his children, Michelle, Tommy and Breandán, who are in the Visitors Gallery, I say, your father is a very fine man who has served the community well both at national and local level. I wish his wife Bridie, all his family and, in particular, Tom himself very many years of happiness and I look forward to him visiting us some time, please God, when his health improves.

Mr. Manning

It was with great regret that I heard the news this morning that Senator Tom Fitzgerald is resigning from the House. Obviously, our first concern is for his health and that now, free from the pressure of politics, he will have the time and space to make a full recovery. We extend our best wishes for a full recovery in order that he may enjoy many years of retirement.

Tom Fitzgerald is one of the great gentlemen of Irish politics. It is a privilege to know him and to have worked with him. He was always courteous and showed a sense of charm which, while very much his own, rubbed off on everybody who came into contact with him. He was utterly sincere in everything he did, in his love of this House and politics and in his simple, straightforward belief in the matters which he felt were fundamental to politics.

Working across the floor from him both as Leader of the Opposition and of the House, I always found him to be a man of his word, which was his bond. Once a deal was done, it was respected without the need for a written agreement. He is a person of great generosity, not only in the manner in which it is normally understood, but also in terms of generosity of spirit. He showed great concern for other people, who were central to his belief in politics.

Senator Tom Fitzgerald was a person of extraordinary loyalty to his party and to Charles Haughey, who was, as the Leader pointed out, a great friend and mentor. While others developed a sense of amnesia as far as Mr. Haughey was concerned, Senator Tom Fitzgerald did not. He always acknowledged his friendship and while he admitted that matters could have been different, he was not a fair weather friend, but stood by his friends through good days and bad.

It was always a pleasure to listen to him speak in the House, especially on the subjects about which he knew and cared a great deal – matters related to the marine, nature and County Kerry, in particular, come to mind. His use of Irish is very colourful. Tom also had to fill in for others from time to time, but when he spoke on his topics he was unbeatable.

It has been a privilege for me and members of my party to have counted Senator Tom Fitzgerald as a friend, to have worked with him and to have witnessed his very fine qualities. He was a friend of everyone in the House and added greatly to public life through his participation in it. Our main concern now is that he makes a full recovery and enjoys many years of good health.

Mr. O'Toole

Is cúis mhór bhróin domsa an scéal a chloisteáil go bhfuil an Seanadóir Tom ag éirí as a phost anseo sa Seanad. Tá muid sa Daingean agus i gCorca Duibhne thar a bheith bródúil as. Is fear den scoth é i meon an phobail. Is mór an trua go bhfuil se ag éirí as ach tuigim a chás. Is breá a chloisteáil go bhfuil biseach ag teacht air anois. Is mór an trua nach mbeidh Bridie ag teacht chugainn le linn an toghcháin ag rá "An dtabharfaidh tú vóta do m'athair?", mar a dúirt sí go minic.

The House can ill afford to lose a Kerry man and a Dingle man.

Mr. Dardis

Another one.

Mr. O'Toole

Less than ten days ago I said I did not want to hear anyone else in the House refer to a Kerry man as a man of integrity because one could not trust what he would do next. I will put that on hold now because no other word would describe Senator Fitzgerald. He is and always will be a colleague, friend and neighbour. I hope to hear about his retirement many more times in the future. His health prospects are better now. Once he has made the decision, he will be able to look forward to greater participation and his treatment can start in the near future.

He has been a stalwart of the House from the time he came here. His respect for the House knows no bounds. I know the staff of the House will agree that he has been the oil in the machinery of the Upper House in the sense that it continued to work and there was always consistent movement. He has always shown respect not only for the Members on his own side, but for those of us on this side of the House. I reiterate what Senator Manning said, his word is his bond. While there are often rows, fights and tension across the floor about ordering business etc., I have not had to query any agreement he made with me or others on this side of the House in all the years I have dealt with him. While we on the Independent benches rarely speak with one voice, we can speak with one voice on this issue this morning. We had total trust and confidence in him. I knew that was the case before we both sat in the House as it was reflected in his family background. Anyone who had the great pleasure to meet his mother, who we referred to as Nell Brien – the tradition in west Kerry is that women do not change their names when they get married – would realise that her son had the same level of integrity, commitment and directness. He is and will continue to be held in the highest regard at home.

I am delighted Senator Fitzgerald's health is improving. I will miss him around the House. As well as his knowledge of the sea, he gets completely energised about the lack of conservation in the sea and the methods of fishing to which he is opposed and which he feels are not good for the environment or for the future of fishing. He is a mine of information on such areas as we have seen in the House. He will not change from being loyal, co-operative and dependable. He has served us with dignity and commitment.

Tá sé ag éirí as mar chomhghleacaí, mar chara agus mar chomharsa. As a west Kerry man, I hope he breathes the air which keeps us well. I hope he visits us regularly to convey some of his wisdom to us. I thank his family, particularly Bridie. The families of public representatives always make a huge commitment because it is an intrusion in their lives. There are better times ahead as they will have more time together. I am sure we will see a lot of him in the future.

Mr. Costello

Like the other speakers, I greatly regret that Senator Tom Fitzgerald is retiring from the House and from his post as Chief Whip. It is sad that he is doing so on grounds of ill health. I hope he returns to good health as quickly as possible.

Senator Tom Fitzgerald is a good friend of mine as he is of everyone else in the House. He is a decent, honourable, sincere and humble man. He is very natural, with no airs or graces whatsoever. He is a straightforward, direct man of integrity. Of all of those who have come out of Kerry, and out of Dingle, Senator Tom Fitzgerald is certainly the greatest gentleman of them all, with due respect to anybody past or present. Others may perhaps grow into his shoes but he is at present a man of the greatest stature there and I am delighted that members of his family are in the House today so that they can hear how much we appreciate him.

Senator Tom Fitzgerald is appreciated as much on this side of the House as he is on his own side. He never made any bones about where he stood as a parliamentarian. He was a very staunch Member of the House who was very concerned with the structures of the House and that respect for the House be paramount. In his position, he worked to ensure that was the case and when problems arose he was quick to smooth them out. His great strength is that he is a conciliator. He is a person who avoids unnecessary confrontation. At the same time, he is very direct and was always able to smooth out any difficulty that arose. I will always see him in that capacity.

The finest tribute to Senator Tom Fitzgerald is to acknowledge what he wrote in his letter to the House today. It showed all his human qualities and was concerned for everybody in the House and all those he worked with. He did not leave anybody out and that is his approach to everything – that all should be included and every body should be given due respect and attention. I wish Senator Tom Fitzgerald well in his retirement and hope that he returns to good health.

Mr. Dardis

It was a surprise to be told this morning that Senator Tom Fitzgerald was retiring. While we all knew that he had been ill, retirement was not something I expected. It must have been a particularly hard decision for him because it is obvious that he loves this place so much and has such affection for all who serve here, whether Members or staff. It has been said by Senator Manning and others that he was a very good parliamentarian. That might not be readily appreciated in the wider community and it is important that it is said. Reference has been made to the work he did on various pieces of legislation within the House and I particularly recall the Harbours Bill, 1995, on which he had a major impact. It was remarkable, and a measure of his stature and the knowledge that he had of the fishing industry, that he could achieve so much when he was in Opposition.

We will also miss him because he was very helpful to all Members, particularly new Members, irrespective of what party they belonged to or what side of the House they were on. That should also be recognised and perhaps has not been referred to. The Seanad was such a huge part of Senator Tom Fitzgerald's life that it is difficult to imagine him not having it as a part of his life. I hope that he will return to us many times to visit us and to be with us here. I am sure that is something both he and all Members would like to happen.

Senator Tom Fitzgerald made many friends while a Member of the House. He was always even-handed and an excellent Government Whip. Even those who at times might have suffered the wrath of his tongue because they may not have sought a pair, or may have slipped away quietly – or what they thought was quietly – for a few hours, will acknowledge that.

Mr. Cassidy

He will be badly missed.

Mr. Dardis

That was a result of the deep commitment he had to the House and its workings and to the respect that he had for parliamentary tradition.

I saw Senator Tom Fitzgerald cry on one occasion – the day Mr. Haughey stepped down from office as Taoiseach. I met the Senator coming across the bridge between Government Buildings and Leinster House and he was crying because his Taoiseach had resigned. He bore that with very good grace. Senator Manning was correct when he spoke about his loyalty and said that he never forgot his friends. It is a privilege for all of us to have served with him and to know him. We wish him very well in his retirement and a full recovery to health. We wish him and his wife and family all the best for the future.

An Cathaoirleach

I will now call the Leader of the House on the Order of Business. Some Members have indicated that they wish to join in the good wishes to Senator Fitzgerald and I will give them an opportunity to do that on the Order of Business.