Tributes to TD who was `tireless campaigner'

The President, Mrs McAleese, led the political tributes to Dr Pat Upton yesterday. "In his work as a public representative and as a university lecturer, Dr Upton was a tireless campaigner on behalf of others. He will be sadly missed", Mrs McAleese said. "My thoughts and prayers are with his family at this time."

The Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, said that it was "a real tragedy that this fine parliamentarian should be snatched from our midst in his prime".

His contribution to public life had been outstanding, and he would be an immense loss to his party colleagues, Mr Ahern added.

The Labour Party leader, Mr Ruairi Quinn, said that Dr Upton was a man of absolute integrity whose death was a shocking loss, not just to Labour, but to politics generally.

"Pat Upton was a close and valued colleague. He played a key role in the development of the Labour Party during the last decade, and his death will be deeply felt throughout the entire party. His support for modernisation was crucial to the success of the party in the 1990s, and I know it was a process he wished to see continue."

Mr Quinn added: "He always had strongly-held views and never lacked the courage to express them, even where this left him in a minority position or brought him into conflict with colleagues."

The Fine Gael leader, Mr John Bruton, said that Dr Upton had had one of the sharpest brains in the Dail. "He was an original thinker, unconfined by political prejudice. It is tragic that his immense potential as a politician will not be realised. He was also personally very kind in his dealings with colleagues from all parties."

The Tanaiste, Ms Harney, said that Dr Upton had been "first and foremost a gentleman", whose death caused her great sadness. "A man who pursued his politics with passion, determination and vigour, he remained throughout an affable and approachable colleague. He worked tirelessly for the people of Dublin South Central, and they have clearly lost a true servant of their needs."

Mr Trevor Sargent, the Green Party TD, described Dr Upton as an extremely hard-working politician and an erudite and incisive speaker who always managed to convince listeners that he believed what he was saying.

Dr Upton was also praised by TDs from his Dublin South Central constituency. Fine Gael's Mr Gay Mitchell described him as "decent, hard-working, straightforward and a man of honour".

Mr Ben Briscoe, of Fianna Fail, said that Dr Upton had been a really good friend and "a `lovely man".