Before beginning Leaders' Questions, I wish, as Ceann Comhairle, to record my deep sadness at the recent death of my distinguished predecessor, Mr. Seán Treacy. We will schedule time in the near future for formal tributes from Members but I think it would be appropriate for me to record today the sympathy of this House to Seán Treacy's family and friends. He served in this House for 36 years as well as in the European Parliament. I attended his funeral yesterday in his beloved Clonmel and it was clear from those present that Seán gave his heart and soul to the people of Tipperary, serving that county and this country with true patriotism, integrity, dignity and a deep sense of social justice.
Death of former Ceann Comhairle: Expressions of Sympathy
Members rose.
I call Deputy Micheál Martin for Leaders' Questions.
Are we expressing sympathies later?
We will have formal tributes later.
Will there be an opportunity to say something?
If Members want to, they can do so during Leaders' Questions.
We were told we would have a minute each before Leaders' Questions.
Nobody told me that, but off you go.
Ba mhaith liom i dtús báire mo chomhbhrón a dhéanamh. B'fhéidir gur cheart don Taoiseach labhairt ar dtús.
I would like to begin by offering my condolences and those of the Government to the family of Seán Treacy. As a member of the Labour Party and as an Independent, he served the people of Clonmel, Tipperary South and the country with great honour and distinction. I would like in particular to extend my condolences to Deputy Howlin and former Members from the Labour Party, who all knew him so well. I never had the opportunity to meet the former Ceann Comhairle but as a young man interested in politics, watching it on television, I remember being struck by Seán Treacy, a man with gravitas, dignity, authority and, of course, a booming voice. Over the course of a remarkable career, he was a Deputy for 36 years and sat in the European Parliament for three.
Across three different decades - the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s - he served as Ceann Comhairle and saw his role as putting manners on Deputies. This is never an easy job, and sometimes even taoisigh need to be reined in. The only reward for an often thankless task is that the holder of the office is constitutionally entitled to be returned automatically in the next election. In 1997, Seán Treacy decided against being automatically returned, something that was praised by my forbear as a unique and selfless act and as further evidence of how he always put the public interest before himself. In his own words, he handed down "the torch of unsullied public service to others in the hope and belief that they too will continue to uphold the best and noblest traditions of the premier county". When he stepped down in 1997, there were many tributes paid to him in this House and they were all well deserved, although with typical modesty he said he felt that he needed to kick himself just to make sure he was still alive. I am glad that he was honoured in that way in his lifetime. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam.
Ba mhaith liom ar son mo pháirtí agus ar mo shon féin comhbhrón a dhéanamh le clann Seán Ó Treasaigh as a bhás. Bhí sé dílis dá phobal agus d'oibrigh sé go dian dícheallach ar son an chórais daonlathach agus ar son a dhúiche féin. He was a committed public servant at local, national and European level. He had very strong personal convictions as a Deputy. He was always incredibly fair-minded and independent in his role as Ceann Comhairle on four occasions. An extremely popular politician, being returned seven times as a Deputy, and, of course, serving as an MEP from 1981 to 1984 for Munster. He first ran in 1957 for the Labour Party, when it was the minority party in an outgoing Government; never an easy task, as Deputy Howlin would testify. At his first attempt, he polled very credibly. Four years later, however, he topped the poll and took the seat which he held for 36 years, an extraordinary achievement.
He was very much part of a rural Labour Party tradition that often held the fort, or, indeed, the seats, irrespective of what the prevailing political trends might have been elsewhere, particularly at national level. It did not seem to affect the endurance or longevity of a Deputy like Seán Treacy. In a similar mode to John Ryan in Tipperary and Dan Spring in Kerry, he was rooted in his county. In his opinions and his outlook, he was happy to reflect those of his constituents. He served another ten years as Ceann Comhairle after 1987. In 1973, he saw the position and he pledged to strive earnestly to uphold the dignity and the decorum of the House. No one can say that he did not honour that pledge. In fact, in 1987, he said, "All Members may rest assured that their rights and obligations in this House will be treasured and safeguarded by me".
I recall, as a Deputy from 1989 onwards, thinking that I could use that sort of tolerance flexibly, but I quickly discovered that, as Ceann Comhairle, Seán Treacy had an extraordinary capacity to mow down, in a staccato manner, any Deputy who had the potential to be disorderly on the Order of Business. It was a most extraordinary talent and it rendered one rooted to one's seat even as one about to rise because he could almost spot that one was not going to be in conformity with the Order of Business. I am not suggesting, a Cheann Comhairle, that you look back on the film clips of those occasions-----
I have a lot to learn.
-----but he was very effective indeed as Ceann Comhairle. The Taoiseach is fortunate that he will not have to face that staccato fire. In a different era, Seán Treacy brought decorum, he brought honour and he brought status to the office of An Ceann Comhairle. He fitted the position very easily and he earned the fondness and affection of Members on all sides of the House. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam dílis.
Ar mo shon féin agus ar son Shinn Féin, ba mhaith liom comhbhrón a dhéanamh le clann agus cairde an iar-Cheann Comhairle, Seán Ó Treasaigh, a fuair bás ag an deireadh seachtaine. On my own behalf and on behalf of Sinn Féin, I extend sincere and heartfelt sympathies to the family, friends and, indeed, Labour Party colleagues of the former Ceann Comhairle, Seán Treacy, who passed away at the weekend.
Bhí gairm fhada aige in oifig poiblí agus táim cinnte go bhfuil a mhuintir bródúil as sin. I have no doubt that his family are extremely proud of his long and distinguished career as a public representative. He spent almost four decades in political life, serving as a Deputy for Tipperary South, a Member of the European Parliament and as Ceann Comhairle. He was widely recognised for his unflagging commitment to the people of his constituency. His passing will be felt by so many, particularly those in Tipperary, to whom he gave immense service for so many years.
I join others in extending sympathy and condolences to Seán's family, in particular, and former colleagues and friends at this sad time. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam dílis.
I am obviously saddened but happy to have the opportunity to pay tribute to my friend and colleague, a person I served with in the parliamentary Labour Party for a decade. As is often the case in the parliamentary Labour Party, there was an eclectic crew representing all facets and strands of public affairs and public life in this country, from the urban intellectual to the knowledgeable rural representative grounded in the earth. Seán Treacy added immeasurably to our discussions. He started off as a trade union official humbly organising and looking after the rights of working people. That remained the hallmark of his entire political life. Although he rose to become Ceann Comhairle of Dáil Éireann, a position to which he was elected in four different Dáileanna, which was a remarkable signal of the respect in which he was held across the political divide in this Chamber. He never lost contact with what grounded him in his native Tipperary. He was an extraordinarily passionate defender of the interests of the county of Tipperary or, as he put it himself, South Riding in particular, and of course his beloved Clonmel.
Of all the great attributes Seán had, the most notable was his ability to understand the needs of his community and represent it well. Of all the accolades that he achieved in his life, none meant more to him than to be made a freeman of the town of Clonmel, an honour I know was very important to him. He was a mayor of Clonmel, a chairman of Tipperary County Council and a distinguished Member of this House for the best part of four decades. He served in various capacities. He was a member of the European Parliament representing the constituency of Munster and he implemented at that forum the needs of the region of Munster but also those of his own community. He has certainly written his name into the annals of this House and his native place. On behalf of all his colleagues in the parliamentary Labour Party and the wider Labour movement - the organised side in addition to the political side - we send our condolences and deepest sympathies to Seán's extended family. He will long be remembered.
On behalf of the Tipperary Members of the House, I wish to be associated with the tributes to Seán Treacy and the condolences to his family and many friends in Tipperary. When I came into the House first, in 1987, I found Seán to be very helpful and obliging. As a Tipperary man, he often gave us the nod when we least expected it.
The one thing that stood out about Seán Treacy was that he had a total appreciation of and respect for the office he held. He conducted his duties with consistent fairness, great authority and decorum, which was observed by many. He was very particular about the procedures and protocols of the House and he always stood up for the rights and entitlements of its Members. Overall, Seán Treacy was a man of great courtesy.
He led delegations of both Houses of the Oireachtas and was an exemplary ambassador in that capacity. His greatest moments, which I observed, were when he welcomed with great flourish and style President Bill Clinton and Nelson Mandela. They were the best of many moments as Ceann Comhairle of the House.
He always led with great gravitas and style and the people of Tipperary were indebted to him for his commitment, dedication and many years of service to his community. He was particularly interested in and looked after those in our community and society who were vulnerable. Seán Treacy's door was always open to those who needed support and assistance. We remember him as a great Tipperary man and a great public servant. He was a man of the people and he will be missed greatly.
On behalf of Independents 4 Change, I extend our condolences to the family of Seán Treacy. I did not know him but if I had met him while he was alive, I certainly would have extended my sympathy to him for having spent 36 years in this place.
It is not compulsory, Mick.
It seems to be for Deputy Howlin. He was 93 years of age and so he got a good spin out of it. My own mother is 93 also. No matter at what age people die or how long they live, we miss them when they go. All the best.
On behalf of the Social Democrats, I extend our condolences and sympathy to the family, friends and colleagues of the late Seán Treacy at this sad time. There is no doubt that he had a long and distinguished career. He was a colourful character and, in many ways, a magisterial one. The most important thing about him was that during his long period in the Chair, he treated all Members of the House with great fairness and respect. He will always be remembered for that. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam dílis.