SEANAD:A MESSAGE of condolence is to be sent on behalf of the Seanad to the Cloney family following the death of Sheila Cloney who was a central figure in events which led to the boycott of Protestants in Fethard-on-Sea, Co Wexford, 52 years ago.

Eoghan Harris (Ind) said moral heroes were not saluted sufficiently. “The Fethard-on-Sea boycott was one of the shabbiest periods in Irish history but it was also one of the most noble. It saw great moral courage by Sheila Cloney, who refused to give in to the infamous ne temere decree and rear a child as a Catholic.” The child, who had been sent to Belfast, had lived to take an active part, he was glad to say, in the divorce campaigns of the l980s.

Two other people deserved credit for their roles during that difficult period, added Mr Harris. “One is Donal Barrington, the great senior counsel, later a judge, who showed enormous moral courage at the time, and the other person is Éamon de Valera, who stood up in the Dáil and effectively ended that boycott with one, short, terse reprimand to those involved.”

Seanad leader Donie Cassidy referred to the bereavement of the family by the passing of “that champion” who had come to prominence during the horrific episode. He said he would certainly send a letter to the Cloneys on behalf of his colleagues.

Mr Harris also said the simplest way to achieve the €5 billion in savings the Government needed to make was by a 20 per cent pay cut across the public sector. That sector was objectively and relatively a privileged class now.

If he were an active socialist, he would regard these people as the only class of fat cats around. It was not their fault; the benchmarking system had not been meant to give them 20 per cent more than what could be earned by those in the private sector. “It is wrong that they are paid 20 per cent more. It must be taken back.”

Jerry Buttimer (FG) said the demonising of public servants, thousands of whom were doing great work, should stop.