On behalf of all Members of the Seanad and on behalf of the Fianna Fáil group in the House, I would like to express our sympathy on the death of former Member, Stephen McGonagle, who passed away recently. Stephen will be best remembered for his dedication and hard work on behalf of the members of the National Union of Tailors and Garment Workers and later the Irish Transport and General Workers Union, of which he became north west regional officer.
In 1960, Stephen became an increasingly influential figure in trade union affairs and industrial relations in Northern Ireland. He was instrumental in the formation of the Northern Ireland committee of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions. He later became its chairman and in 1972 he became president of congress. In 1974, he was appointed Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration and Commissioner for Complaints, a post we know today as Ombudsman. He was the first Catholic to hold such a post in Northern Ireland. He brought the same fairness and sense of natural justice and common sense to this role that had marked his earlier career. In 1977, he became chairman of the Northern Ireland Police Complaints Board, which he had helped establish.
In 1983, he was nominated to the Seanad by then Taoiseach, Garrett FitzGerald, where he served until 1987, speaking on labour matters, social issues, health and housing and the reports of the Ombudsman. He was also a member of the New Ireland Forum.
On behalf of all Members of the House, I offer our sincere sympathy to his daughter, Patricia, and his sons, Owen, Ryan, Kevin, Malachy and Declan.