REACTION:BRIAN LENIHAN'S political opponents in Fine Gael, the Labour Party and Sinn Féin were among those who wished him well after he spoke about his illness.
Fine Gael deputy leader Richard Bruton said he hoped Mr Lenihan would recover quickly and described as “commendable” the nature of the Minister’s statement about his illness. “I wish Brian Lenihan a full and speedy recovery and the very best for his forthcoming course of treatment,” Mr Bruton said.
“In particular, the Minister’s frank and detailed statement about his illness is commendable, as well as his determination to concentrate his energies on the Department of Finance.”
Labour Party spokeswoman for finance Joan Burton, who shares the Dublin West constituency with Mr Lenihan, said he was respected and admired by all sides in Leinster House.
She said “in his battle against this serious illness he will have the support of every member of the House”.
Referring to the TV3 disclosure of Mr Lenihan’s illness and the stress on his family she said he had dealt with the situation with “characteristic dignity”.
Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams also extended good wishes to Mr Lenihan. “My thoughts at this time are with Minister Lenihan and his family. I wish him well with his treatment and hope to see him make a speedy recovery,” he said.
Mr Lenihan said yesterday that he hoped Opposition finance spokespeople would continue to maintain the vigour of their criticism of Government policy, adding that the last thing he would want was for them to feel inhibited by his medical condition.
A Green Party spokesman said party leader John Gormley had spoken to Mr Lenihan on several occasions since Christmas. This included a long conversation on Sunday evening.
“We were saddened by news of his illness but heartened by Brian’s response today and we will give him every support in the coming weeks and months,” the spokesman said.
Mr Lenihan’s aunt Mary O’Rourke TD said his cancer diagnosis brought the family closer together over Christmas.
Ms O’Rourke was told the news of her nephew’s cancer two days before Christmas Eve. She said the news had made her upset but the extended Lenihan family had drawn together.
"Brian does not want to be or will not be a lame-duck finance minister. As long as his intellectual capacity and brain capacity is good, he will continue on in the job, but he won't continue if he finds he cannot," she told RTÉ's Radio One's Livelineprogramme.
The word cancer strikes “pure dread into people’s hearts” but the prognosis was often better than the fear itself, she believed.
“The cancer care brought about by Prof Keane and all the others has brought about a situation whereby, if you have a severe diagnosis which Brian had, you will be looked at and attended to and care given.”
Ms O’Rourke said that Mr Lenihan’s mother Ann was a very spiritual person who had seen a lot of suffering in her lifetime especially with the death of her husband Brian snr and her son Mark who died of leukaemia when he was just five.