DETAILS of the accident in which the Cathaoirleach of the Seanad, Mr Liam Naughten, and a Croatian man died last Saturday were given at an inquest in Roscommon yesterday.
The Roscommon coroner, Mr Des O'Connor, held the inquest into the death of Mr Toni Laznibat (30), who had worked at Ericsson in Athlone since May.
A jury returned a verdict in accordance with the medical evidence of a pathologist, Dr Niall Walsh, that death was due to shock and haemorrhage as a result of multiple injuries received in the crash.
Garda Pat McLoughlin of Ballinasloe said both vehicles ended up on the right hand hard shoulder of the main Ballinasloe Athlone road, as one faces Athlone, and were extensively damaged.
Garda McLoughlin said the accident had happened on a slight bead. Mr Naughten had been travelling from Athlone. The back of Mr Laznibat's car was found hanging off a wall.
An inquest into Senator Naughten's death will be held later.
IT was a criminal waste of life that the Seanad's Cathaoirleach, Mr Liam Naughten, was dead at the age of 52 because of overwork, Mr Pat Magner (Lab) told the House yesterday.
The number of parliamentarians who had died during the current Oireachtas was frightening, he said.
Mr Magner joined in more than two hours of tributes to Mr Naughten, who was killed in a road accident last Saturday. He noted that three senators and four members of the Dail had died since late 1992.
Senators and deputies in multi seat constituencies had punishing schedules. "It's a crazy life. Senator Naughten died on his way to attend a funeral after he had left another funeral. The type of pressures to which these people are subjected must be examined," added Mr Magner.
"It's a criminal waste of life that somebody aged 52 years is in his grave through overwork. We should call it as we see it; the cause is overwork. There are times when people should be at home with their families. I pay tribute to Liam Naughten, who served people as well as he could in this crazy political life that we lead.
"It behoves us to treat each other more gently as time goes on, because it's happening too often. The pressures are too great and the wives and children suffer most."
Prof Joe Lee (Ind) also spoke of the appalling pressure on politicians in trying to discharge the duties expected of them. They were regularly pilloried in the media, he said, and they were often critical of each other. He did not know any other profession which so consistently criticised itself.
The Leas Cathaoirleach, Mr Brian Mullooly (FF), said Mr Naughten had all the qualities politicians were not supposed to have. He was a man of great personal charm and integrity. He was a great ambassador for the Seanad House leader Mr Maurice Manning (FG) said he had lost one of his closest friends, a person whose friendship and company he valued more than he could say.
The Fianna Fail leader, Mr G.V. Wright, noted that his party had not opposed Mr Naughten's elevation to the Chair. That judgment had been vindicated. That was the greatest accolade that could be paid to the man.
Praising Mr Naughten as a decent, unassuming gentleman, Mr David Norris (lad) recalled vi siting Tehran in a Seanad delegation led by him. "We met the leaders of Tehran, who are powerful and difficult people, but he dealt with them as equals, with extraordinary courtesy. He did this country proud."
Mr Norris recollected how a carpet he purchased during that visit had been "christened" only last week in his Dublin home in the presence of Mr Naughten. "I have this happy memory of Liam sitting in a corner looking at the carpet with a glass of Paddy in his hand."
Alluding further to the Iranian visit, he observed that that country was "dry". Delegation members occasionally made their way down a corridor to what they told the guards outside their rooms was a prayer meeting which they could not possibly avoid. We sat there with our little jorums (drinking vessels) and talked about politics.
