It was a tragedy that "some cabal in a backroom in Fine Gael" had decided Mr Maurice Manning should not be nominated to contest the forthcoming Seanad election, Mr Shane Ross (Ind) said. The House, he said, had been served superbly by the outgoing Fine Gael leader in the chamber.
Joining in many tributes to Mr Manning, paid mainly from the Government and Independent sides, Mr Ross said: "I think we have lost possibly the finest senator that this Senate has ever had. I hope and I know that he will be around politics in some capacity."
The acting Government leader in the House, Mr John Dardis, (PD) said: "I regard political loyalty as something that is a very important attribute. I think that if people are loyal to their parties, their parties have an obligation to be loyal to them. That would be my final word to Senator Manning."
Mr David Norris (Ind) said he greatly regretted that Mr Manning was not to be a candidate. "I have to say that I think that Fine Gael has made a disastrous and possibly a mischievous mistake in withholding a nomination from him. I think that's a disgrace. I'll find it very difficult indeed to give votes to my friends and colleagues in Fine Gael, because I really think it shows a very low standard in Irish political life."
Mr Manning had given great dignity to the House and he had increased its standing by his distinguished contributions.
Yesterday was the last sitting of the 21st Seanad, which lost a sixth of its membership due to the election of senators to the new Dáil. A further 11 senators will not seek re-election.
The day was also marked by the presence of the two new senators, former Minister Ms Mary O'Rourke and Mr Martin Mackin, Fianna Fáil general secretary, who were nominated to the Upper Chamber by the Taoiseach.
Warm tributes were paid to those whose political careers were ending, notably the cathaoirleach, Mr Brian Mullooly (FF), the leas-cathaoirleach, Mr Liam Cosgrave (FG), and the Father of the House, Mr Des Hanafin, who first became a senator in 1969.
In his farewell address, Mr Manning said the occupant of the Chair had been a credit to Irish politics and had set a high standard for his successors. Noting the "exodus" from the Government side as a result of the Dáil elections, he said he was tempted to call a division. "We might just win it today, you never know."
As it turned out, Mr Manning was almost proved correct. An opposition challenge to the Government's proposal for the business to be taken was carried by the narrowest of margins, 16-15.
Recalling that he and Ms O'Rourke had been elected to the Seanad on the same day 21 years ago, he said it was one of the greatest privileges to be elected to the national parliament.
Mr Manning said the world was changing rapidly and the Seanad must accept there was a real need for change. "But in accepting that need, I think we should also remember that there are certain very distinctive values in this House which in the course of change should never be lost.
"Among those I would single out the huge sense of courtesy which exists in this House; the willingness to let people have their say as fully and fairly as possible; the independence of mind which characterises many of the debates in this House and also the scrutiny of legislation."
Mr Manning said that the independent senators had made an extraordinary contribution to debates and he hoped this would long continue. The quality of the contribution by the independent members made the House distinctive and gave it a cutting edge.
He knew there was controversy about their membership at the moment but he really believed that they fully merited election to the chamber.
On the order of business, Mr Joe O'Toole (Ind), asked for a commitment that the House would resume its sitting next Tuesday. Two extraordinary publications would make this necessary.
The benchmarking report was due to be published on Monday and the Ansbacher list the following day. Both publications were tied together "because it is the people who were not paying their taxes will be the people who would be saying we should not pay our civil and public servants."
Mr Brendan Ryan (Lab) said Mr Hanafin had rendered a great service to various causes because of the honourable way he had conducted his campaigns. No matter how contentious the issues, he had never spoken a bad word about his opponents.
Mr Hanafin said his proudest moment was when his daughter, then a Minister, had dealt with a legislative measure before the House. "It made me wonder, will it ever happen again that the father of the House will be the father of the Minister."
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