Before proceeding to deal with Questions the House will hear expressions of sympathy on the death of former Member, Patrick Joseph Malone.
Death of Former Member. - Expression of Sympathy.
A Cheann Comhairle, I thank you for allowing us the opportunity to pay our respects to the late Paddy Malone, former Fine Gael Deputy for Kildare, who was a Member of Seanad Éireann from 1965 to 1970 and a Member of this House from 1970 to 1977. Those who knew the late Paddy Malone knew him to have been a very quiet, unobstrusive man, whose special interests in the House by way of his representation were mainly the representation of farmers and small businesses. In addition, he had a very direct interest in the development of eastern regional tourism.
I take this opportunity, on behalf of the Government and my party, of conveying to his sister, relatives and friends our sincere sympathy on his passing.
I should like to join the Taoiseach in expressing sympathy to the relatives of the late Paddy Malone who had a very long and distinguished political career. He was first elected to Kildare County Council in 1955 and first contested a Dáil election in the by-election of 1964 which followed the death of the late Billy Norton, a former Leader of the Labour Party. Paddy Malone was not successful on that occasion. I am sure, much to his own regret and sadness, the occasion on which he was successful in being elected to the Dáil was in the by-election in 1970 as a consequence of the tragic and sudden death of his closest political friend, the late Deputy Gerard Sweetman. In many ways the late Gerard Sweetman and Paddy Malone were an ideal combination in terms of political alliance in that Gerard Sweetman had all the abrasive capacity to generate conflict in the interests of progress and Paddy Malone had the diplomatic quality to restore calm after that conflict had achieved its purpose. Therefore, the two of them worked together as a very powerful political combination.
As the Taoiseach said, the late Paddy Malone was particularly interested, as a Member of this and the other House, in agricultural matters. He was his party's spokesman on agriculture in the Seanad. He had many tough political decisions to face during the 1970s when some of the policies which his Government was implementing were not entirely popular or acceptable to the farmers of County Kildare. It was a tribute to his courage that he was able to deal with these issues in the way he did, never losing his composure, calm and quiet dignity. Those of us who heard him speak in the House — and there are quite a number present who did — will remember him as having been very eloquent. He had a very good command of English and when he spoke, which was not that often, he always had rapt attention.
His loss will be felt particularly in his native county of Kildare but also by all his friends in the Fine Gael Party and members of the other parties in this House who came into contact with him during his very productive and fruitful life.
I should like to join the Taoiseach and the Leader of the Fine Gael Party in extending my sympathy, and that of the Progressive Democrats, to the late Paddy Malone's sister and family. Although he had been a Member of the Houses of the Oireachtas for 12 years I had not the pleasure of knowing him in that his time in this House preceded my entry to the Oireachtas. Nonetheless I know of his reputation, living as he did in County Kildare close to my constituency.
On behalf of Democratic Left I should like to associate my party with the expressions of sympathy to the family and friends of former Deputy Paddy Malone.
On behalf of the Labour Party I should like to be associated with the expressions of sympathy to the Malone family and, indeed, to the Fine Gael Party on the death of the late Paddy Malone.
On behalf of my constituency colleague, the Minister for Tourism and Trade, Deputy McCreevy, on my own behalf and that of the Fianna Fáil organisation in Kildare, I should like to extend sympathy to the sister and relatives of the late Paddy Malone. He served Kildare very well over a long period, both as a Member of both Houses of the Oireachtas and as a member of Kildare County Council.
He made many friends and would not have insulted many people during his lifetime, a feat very few of us can achieve in politics. He had been unwell for a long time. He will be sadly missed and leaves behind many friends. Indeed, it must be said that he won a by-election against the tide, something which may be appreciated in the not too distant future. He served his constituents well and we shall miss him.
On behalf of the Fine Gael organisation in Kildare, all Paddy Malone's friends and supporters over the years, I too would like to be associated with the tributes to him. I was reminiscing earlier today, that when I first met him, he was about the age I am now. Paddy had many friends. He was a great public representative and a fine public speaker who had the ability to raise the tempo and standard of debate when he saw fit. We shall miss him greatly.
I would like to join my colleagues and others in paying tribute to the late Paddy Malone and to express my sympathy to his sister and to his family. I knew Paddy Malone for many years. It could be truly said that he was one of nature's gentlemen. I never heard him say anything that offended anybody and at the same time he was very firm in his own political opinions. As others said, he certainly made no enemies. He did much good in County Kildare for which he will be remembered.
Let us rise in prayerful silence.
Members rose in their places.