Tributes have been paid to former Fianna Fáil Councillor, Senator, TD, and Minister of State Tom Hussey. A native of Glenamaddy, Mr Hussey passed away on Sunday at the age of 87. He was first elected to Dáil Éireann in 1969 and continued to represent the Galway East constituency until 1981. He subsequently served as Senator between 1981 and 1992 and as a councillor between 1963 and 1999.
He was appointed Minister of State in the Department of Agriculture between 1977 and 1980 and then in the Department of Health until 1981. Tánaiste Micheál Martin led tributes, describing Mr Hussey as a deeply committed public representative who cared deeply about his community. He added that Mr Hussey was a truly outstanding public representative of great integrity, and who had a great sense of place. Locally, Senator Eugene Murphy described him as a very important figure in Fianna Fáil:
