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Seanad Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 20 Mar 1968

Vol. 64 No. 12

Death of Minister. - Expression of Sympathy.

I know that it would be the wish of the House that I should express our deep sorrow on the death of Mr. Donogh O'Malley, Minister for Education, which occurred since our last meeting.

Donogh O'Malley was a young man of boundless energy and superb administrative capacity. In his relatively short period in public life, he made legions of friends and no enemies. His sincerity about any cause he expoused was unquestioned. He detested sham in any shape or form and had no time for an apartheid attitude in either sport or education. He liked people, was a gracious host and a staunch friend. He was an unqualified success as Mayor of his native city, as Deputy for East Limerick, as Parliamentary Secretary in the Office of Public Works, as Minister for Health and later as Minister for Education.

His memory will be specially cherished however because of his trailblazing work for education first in the Office of Public Works where his drive more than doubled the schools building output and subsequently as the Minister for Education who did so much to ensure that lack of means would no longer deprive any child of the fullest educational opportunities. He was affectionately known to the children as "The School Man" and this will be a more endurable monument than any other to the memory of a man the country could ill afford to lose.

I would ask you therefore, a Cathaoirleach, to convey to his widow and family the deepest sympathy of the Members of Seanad Éireann in their great loss, a loss which is Ireland's loss too.

Síochán Dé dá anam uasal.

I and my colleagues of the Fine Gael Party in the Seanad wish to be associated with the expression of sympathy which the Leader of the House has now voiced.

We in Seanad Éireann remember the late Deputy O'Malley with particular gratitude because in his relatively brief periods as Minister for Health and as Minister for Education he attended the Seanad for three very long debates — on the Government White Paper on Health, on Investment in Education and on the Report of the Commission on Higher Education. We were all aware at the time that he attended those debates that he had made a special effort to do so and was, as far as his other duties permitted him, in attendance for the whole period of the debates because he was interested, as Senator Ó Maoláin has said, in people. He wanted to hear at first hand what the Senators had to say. We were at the time and always will be gratified that he showed such courtesy to the Seanad and we feel that his courtesy to the Seanad served the public interest and we dared to hope that those debates profited him as Minister in charge of his different Departments.

A conspicuous characteristic I think of the late Deputy O'Malley as Minister was that he showed himself to be at all times the person in charge of his Department. From what one could see externally he was the originator of ideas, the person who took decisions and the person who wielded the power in his Department that was given to him by the people when he became a Minister of Government. Because of this he made the great headway that he did. Through him the real needs of the time were, so to speak, canalised into the great machine that every Department of State is and because of that these Departments worked very effectively under his leadership for the betterment of the public.

It is true to say that he will long be remembered for the service which he has rendered to education in this country and he will be affectionately remembered by the people. Death at all times is very sad but when it strikes a man such as the late Deputy O'Malley in the fullness of his powers it is a great tragedy. I and my colleagues wish to be associated with the expression of sympathy to his bereaved wife, son and daughter and his other near relatives for the great tragedy that has come upon them.

On behalf of my colleagues in the Labour Party and myself, I wish to be associated with this vote of condolence to the relatives of the late Deputy Donogh O'Malley, Minister for Education.

Mr. O'Malley will be long remembered as the person who was responsible for a great leap forward in education in this country in the twentieth century. We are sorry, indeed, that he was not spared to give of his work and enthusiasm to that important Department. We hope the appreciation of the school children and succeeding generations of school children will be some consolation to his widow and family on the great personal loss they have sustained.

Thar cheann Ionadaithe na hOllscoile anso agus thar cheann na gcéimithe ollscoile ar fud na tíre ar fad, ba mhaith liomsa dul i gcomhar le na cainteoirí eile san moladh atá tugtha acu don iar-Aire Oideachais, do Dhonnchadh uasal Ó Máille, as a ndearna sé le linn a réime mar Aire, ní amháin ar son oideachais ach ar son sláinte mhuintir na hÉireann.

Is móide is cuí domsa mar mhúinteoir a bhás tobann i mbarr a mhaitheasa a chású mar is fíor gur thug sé misneach ní amháin do aos óg na tíre ach gur thug sé misneach freisin do mhúinteoirí na tíre agus gur thug sé gradam agus seasamh dóibh nach mbeadh acu dá uireasa. Is fíor gur thug sé go fial dá éirim agus dá dhúthracht agus is mór ar fad an trua gur tugadh uainn é agus an beartas mór misniúil a bhí idir lámhaibh aige i gcás na nOllscoileanna anso.

Sé an trua é nár fágadh againn é go dtabharfadh sé an obair ionmholta sin chun críche. Ba mhaith liomsa a mholadh anois go mba bhreá mar chuimhneachán air go n-ainmneofaí Ollscoil nua seo Bhaile Átha Cliath ina dhiaidh nó ar a laghad de go dtabharfaí Coláiste Uí Mháille ar cheann amháin den dá Choláiste atá le bunú anso i mBaile Átha Cliath.

Senators stood in their places.

Cuirimíd an rún chomhbhróin chuig a bhean agus a chlann.

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