Seanad Éireann debate -
Friday, 13 Sep 2002

Vol. 170 No. 2

Retirement of Superintendent of the Houses.

Ms O'Rourke:

Before we move on to the Order of Business, I want to pay tribute, with many of my colleagues in the House, to the Superintendent of the Houses, Éamon O'Donohoe, on his retirement. For almost 22 years, he has been the Superintendent in charge of both Houses of the Oireachtas and although many distinguished people held various offices for a longer period, he is the longest holder of one particular office. Those of us who have been here for that length of time, and as well as those of a more recent vintage, have got to know and respect Éamon O'Donohoe. He came to these Houses from the Army, as is the tradition, having served in the Middle East, Burma, Israel and Lebanon and having represented Ireland over 30 times in the showjumping team, including four Aga Khan Cup competitions, and the Olympic Games. Many of us may not have known the extent of that amazing sporting background which no doubt gave him the great agility he displays constantly in this House in various ways. Indeed, he performed in the Olympic Games in Rome.

Éamon O'Donohoe came to Leinster House in January 1981 and there is no doubt that during that period, almost 22 years, he was known not just for his integrity, acumen and approachability, which he exhibited on all occasions, but the fact that, as Superintendent of both Houses, he held public office in the highest esteem and had the greatest regard for those who hold public office. He was always at great pains to ensure correctness of behaviour and impeccable standards in both Houses and their immediate environs.

Éamon has been a great friend to all of us in many ways, helping unobtrusively, and often openly, but always conforming to the highest standards and expecting the highest standards from others. I am sure his wife, Vera, and his children, David, Orla and Sinéad, will be glad to see more of him and I hope Éamon enjoys a fruitful retirement. I am aware they plan many activities together as a family and I have no doubt that we will see Éamon again when he comes back to visit.

On behalf of the Fianna Fáil Party and, I am sure, all my colleagues here today, I want to pay the finest of tributes to Éamon O'Donohoe on his formal departure from the portals of Oireachtas Éireann.

Mr. B. Hayes:

On behalf of the Fine Gael group I would like to concur with the remarks made by the Leader of the House in marking this time and registering our thanks to the Superintendent of the Houses, Éamon O'Donohoe. It was only in the past two years that I got to know Éamon's name; until that time he was known to me as the Superintendent, but I have come to know and respect him and the work he does in both Houses and throughout Leinster House.

As the Leader said, Éamon O'Donohoe had a distinguished record in the Army, rising to the position of commandant, and I am aware that he enjoyed his time in the Army. I understand he had one overseas posting in Lebanon and one wonders which posting was more difficult – Lebanon or Leinster House.

Ms O'Rourke:

Here.

Mr. B. Hayes:

I believe it is the latter, given all the truculence and the difficulties that Members present to him from time to time. As the Leader stated, Éamon is a gifted horseman and a former Olympian. Throughout his time in Leinster House he has been courteous, efficient and helpful to all the Members and the various groupings.

One of the great tributes to Éamon O'Donohoe is the fact that the Houses of the Oireachtas are neutral. Parties and individuals come and go but these Houses remain. Éamon has a great sense of the dignity of the Houses and he is hugely respectful of their traditions. It is vitally important that whoever holds the position of Superintendent continues that tradition and the very high standards he has set. That is something to which all Members would subscribe. One of the first times I remember him acting with great gusto was at a joint sitting of the Dáil and Seanad when we welcomed a famous dignitary whom he presented to the Houses with great distinction.

Éamon is an avid gardener. Unlike other former Members, I hope he does not have a particular interest in chrysanthemums, but I hope he will continue to work in his garden as diligently as he can. I wish his wife, Vera, and his children well. I understand that in recent years he has become a doting grandfather. I could not envisage the Superintendent as a pussycat, but I am sure his grandchildren always do.

Mr. O'Toole:

It gives me great pleasure to add my few words about the Superintendent, Commandant O'Donohoe, at a time when he cannot answer me back immediately. Having spent the last 16 years on a monthly if not a weekly basis in regular energetic engagements with the Superintendent, I can say without fear of contradiction that he is a person who has discharged his duty as a public servant with absolute distinction. He has done it effectively and efficiently. He knows every square inch not to mind every square yard of these buildings. He knows where everyone is and where everyone should be. He knows where the spare capacity is, if one could get him to reveal that. He can tell one who has more space than is required and what everyone's rights are.

He is also a troublemaker par excellence in the greatest and grandest manner. He has carried himself not only with distinction but with some aplomb in the way he has done his duty here. At his core has been the way he has held in such respect the traditions of these Houses. He has asked me a million times if the Members respecting the traditions. He has said to me on occasions that he saw Members present themselves in a way that parliamentarians should not, that Members have walked between the Speaker and the contributor and other Members have engaged with people in the Visitors' Gallery or the members of the press without due consideration for the contributor. The Superintendent keeps the Houses in line and has done so with absolute centrality. He has been unwavering and has not been subject to bias or the views of a particular party. He saw the job that had to be done and did it well. I have had many arguments with him, which is only right. I have never seen him act in any way other than in the most honourable fashion. He has set a very high standard. We are all delighted he made such a great recovery from illness last year.

The Superintendent has done his work with military precision, which is what we would expect. Senator Brian Hayes referred in particular to his work during joint sittings of the Houses. It is not only that work that is worthy of mention, but the fact that he was always present in anticipation of a difficulty whether it was a difficult vote, an important day in the life of Parliament, a joint sitting of the Houses, the visit of a distinguished dignitary or the arrival of new Members. The way in which the Houses work so smoothly and the way in which he and his staff have managed to keep this House working, often with a paucity of resources, has been amazing. It is right we would put on record the contribution he has made.

I always refer to the Superintendent as the man with the piece of very old brown paper. Whenever there is a row at a meeting of the Committee on Procedure and Privileges about closing the post office, people being allowed in through the back gate or whether we are not making the same decisions as the Dáil, the Superintendent will arrive and produce a piece of brittle paper with a decision taken back in 1947, which he would have taken in pristine fashion from his file, to confirm the decision that is required. He has always been on top of his job and has set the standards for whoever will succeed him. We owe him a great deal. I thank him for that on behalf of our group.

Ms O'Meara:

On behalf of the Labour group, I extend our thanks to the Superintendent, Éamon O'Donohoe. I wish him the very best in his retirement. He deserves a happy and peaceful one, considering the very high standard he set, to which other speakers referred, in his role as Superintendent of the Houses, or as "the Super" as I heard him referred to on several occasions.

His record on the manner in which he has maintained the dignity and decorum of the Houses of the Oireachtas has been outstanding. Other speakers mentioned the high standards he set. His efficiency, the sheer effectiveness with which he has carried out his duties and his commitment to ensure the highest standards of dignity and decorum were maintained within the walls of these Houses and on the campus, must be noted and congratulated. As other speakers said, he set a very high standard for his successor. On behalf of our group, I wish him the very best in his retirement.

Mr. Minihan:

On behalf of the Progressive Democrats, I join previous speakers in paying tribute to the Superintendent, Éamon O'Donohoe. It is unusual for me on my second day in the Seanad to pay tribute to someone who is leaving, but my association with Éamon goes back some time. When I was commissioned first in 1975 it was under Éamon's wing that I arrived in Collins Barracks and he was every bit as much the superintendent there, but in a very nice way in showing one where to stand, where to go and what to do when one felt totally inhibited. Likewise, it is somewhat of a coincidence that I arrive here and he also showed me where to go and what to do. Last week when I asked about the double doors into his office and whether they lead into an outer office, I was told one knocks at the door and takes a deep breath. That said it all.

We were all proud of Éamon's contribution while in the Defence Forces as an Olympian, a member of the Aga Khan Cup teams and the unique transition he made from the Equitation School into the Supply and Transport Corps where he was stationed in Collins Barracks before he left to take up his appointment as Superintendent of the Houses.

I agree with previous speakers that the dignity and traditions of the Houses are very important. We owe the Superintendent a great depth of gratitude for maintaining those standards and ensuring Members and all others associated with the Houses of the Oireachtas have maintained them. It is a tradition of which we should be proud and hold close to our hearts as we continue our role within the Oireachtas.

I wish his wife, Vera, and family a happy retirement with him. I hope they will be able to handle him as well as he has handled all of us now that they will be responsible for filling his time. On behalf of the Progressive Democrats, we owe a sincere debt of gratitude to Éamon. We wish him well in his retirement.

An Cathaoirleach:

As has been said, the Superintendent of the Houses, Éamon O'Donohoe, retires today after almost 21 years of service in Leinster House. Commandant Éamon O'Donohoe was appointed to the Office of Superintendent of the Houses in January 1981. For more than 20 years he has filled that office with dedication, strength of purpose, vision and total commitment to protecting and maintaining the dignity of the Houses of the Oireachtas and their Members.

As other speakers mentioned, he came to Leinster House following a distinguished career in the Army which included service overseas with the United Nations. As an internationally acclaimed showjumper, he represented Ireland on numerous occasions including, as the Leader of the House said, in the 1960 Rome Olympics. Éamon is a perfectionist who has taken pride in doing his job well. As a man of principle, he achieved a perfect balance, worthy of an Olympic competitor, between the need for the highest level of security and protocol and preserving the freedom and independence of Members, staff, press and visitors. Many would say he was tough but very fair.

We will all miss Éamon's presence and his expertise and protocol, especially during visits to Leinster House by dignitaries. I wish him happy and healthy years in his retirement together with his wife, Vera, and their children and grandchildren.