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Gilmore in Dail tribute to the late Justin Keating

Issued : Tuesday 2 March, 2010

Justin Keating was a major public figure who, over a long life stretching from 1930 to January of this year, served the state and society in a wide variety of roles with distinction and devotion.

Educated as a veterinary scientist he first became a distinguished academic, lecturing in both Trinity College and University College Dublin, where he was appointed Dean of the Faculty of Veterinary Science, and, in later life, becoming the first Professor of Equine Science at the University of Limerick.

He began a second career in 1965 when he joined the infant RTÉ where he devised and fronted the pioneering agricultural education programme, Telefís Feirme, which, due to his superb communications skills, quickly became one of the most popular programmes on TV, even amongst urban audiences. He, in turn, became the sort of national figure we now call “celebrity”.

This eclectic background prepared him well for his next, and most distinguished career; that of a parliamentarian. A man of deep political conviction, he was a democratic socialist who, in the best traditions of the Labour movement, was both Irish and internationalist. In response to an invitation from my predecessor, Brendan Corish, to enter public life he stood as a candidate for the Labour Party in the 1969 General Election and was returned to this house from the North County Dublin constituency.

His arrival coincided with the outbreak of sectarian violence in Northern Ireland and, shortly afterwards, with that of the Arms Crisis here in the Republic. During the many ensuing debates in this chamber on Northern Ireland he immediately made his mark for the clarity of his contributions in dissecting the sectarian nature of the conflict and the force of his arguments in upholding the rule of law, a necessary requirement here in the Republic at that time.

In 1972 he was personally chosen by Brendan Corish, to lead the Labour Party campaign in opposing Ireland’s entry into the then European Economic Community. He brought an intellectual robustness to the referendum debate which would otherwise have been absent and which also served this country well by refining the analysis of our vital national interests, such as agriculture. As a direct result, our negotiating stance on the terms of entry was toughened to the benefit of Irish farmers and workers.

He was returned for the North County Dublin constituency in the 1973 General Election and embarked on his fourth career, this time as a member of the National Coalition Government, being appointed as Minister for Industry and Commerce and serving in that post for four years.

Nine months after his appointment the world economy was plunged into depression by the first oil shock and its disastrous social and economic effects set the political agenda for his remaining period in office. He devised and implemented policies to counter unprecedented inflation and to stem the flow of massive job losses arising from the collapse of international trade. In that regard, he worked tirelessly with the IDA to attract new industry to Ireland and, despite the world depression, succeeded in securing significant quantities of inward investment.

His greatest legacy, however, is undoubtedly the policy he developed on the exploitation of our oil and mineral resources whereby he succeeded in protecting the national interest while encouraging private sector engagement. The policy framework agreed by this house on his recommendation serves as a template for the development of our national resources to this day.

His career as a Dáil Deputy ended in 1977 when he failed to be re-elected but he continued his parliamentary career by winning a seat in the Senate, which he held until 1981 and by then returning to the European Parliament where, a decade earlier, he had been one of our first MEPs, a role for which he was particularly well equipped.

His career as a parliamentarian ended in 1984 and he devoted the remainder of his life to a rich mix of careers which covered teaching, writing, science, the arts, crafts, agriculture, broadcasting, horse-breeding, European affairs and environmental politics. As a scientist he was one of the first to recognize the environmental threats posed by unbridled industrialization and he again served society well via his trenchant warnings of the consequences of climate change.

He had contracted a debilitating disease in mid life, which he fought with quiet courage and, despite its physical effects, he remained active in public life up to his death, just one week short of his eightieth birthday. Surrounded by his wife, children, grandchildren, extended family and comrades he was laid to rest in the snow to the strains of the “Internationale”. Justin was a man of great conviction, who remained loyal to his values and beliefs, right up to the end – as his humanist funeral demonstrated.

Just Keating put his formidable intellect, erudition as a political philosopher, deep learning as a scientist and his unmatched skills as a communicator at the disposal of his country throughout a long life of unselfish devotion to the public good. This house was fortunate that, at a time of unparalleled crises, both nationally and internationally, both economically and politically, that it had such a renaissance man to serve the Irish public as a national parliamentarian, a Cabinet Minister and international statesman.

It is fitting that we pay tribute to him today and acknowledge with gratitude the singular and unique contribution he made to this state, the body politic and to our society.