The President, Mrs McAleese, has joined friends and colleagues in paying tribute to the former chief justice and minister for health, Mr Tom O'Higgins, who died yesterday aged 86.
Extending her sympathy to Mr O'Higgins's wife and family, Mrs McAleese praised his work as a judge of the European Court, to which he was appointed in 1984.
"As a distinguished member of the European Court, he brought great honour to the Irish legal profession and to his country."
She added that she "greatly valued" his contributions to the Council of State.
From a strong political background - the son of Mr Thomas F. O'Higgins, minister for defence from 1948 to 1951, and nephew of Mr Kevin O'Higgins, vice-president of the Executive Council of the Free State - Tom O'Higgins was first elected as a TD for Laois-Offaly in 1948.
He served as minister for health from 1954 to 1957, in which period he established the Voluntary Health Insurance board.
This move was a testament to Mr O'Higgins's contribution to Irish life, said Mr Vincent Sheridan, chief executive of the VHI. "This initiative can be appreciated by the fact that Ireland has a greater percentage of its population holding voluntary private medical insurance than any other country." Mr O'Higgins was narrowly defeated as a presidential candidate in 1966 and stood again in 1973. The following year he was appointed chief justice and in 1984 he was made a judge of the European Court.
Fine Gael leader Mr Enda Kenny offered his condolences on behalf of the party. Mr O'Higgins "never forgot his roots and his people", he said. His two bids for the presidency stood out as a "telling contribution to the democratic process".
Former taoiseach Mr Liam Cosgrave described him as a politician of "immense ability and foresight" and "a loyal and distinguished member of a family that rendered faithful and fearless service to the country".
The Tánaiste, Ms Harney, said he made an "outstanding" contribution during his 40 years of public service. "He comes from a family of the highest political calibre, with links back to the foundation of the State . . . the State owes a huge debt to a man of great intellect, ability and energy," she said.
The Minister for Justice, Mr McDowell, said Mr O'Higgins was a "consummate public servant". Mr McDowell continued: "Mr Justice O'Higgins sought, throughout his long and celebrated career, to copper-fasten and develop our democracy, based on a profound respect for the will of the people. He could neither want nor have a better epitaph."
Mr O'Higgins retired from public service in 1991 and is survived by his wife Terry, seven children and 30 grandchildren.
