I inform the House of the sad death this morning, in his 91st year, of Mr. Dermot Clarke who for many years was director of operations in Aer Lingus, in which job he toiled dutifully for a long time. His curriculum vitae began at a much younger age. When he was a young man and a recent graduate of the college on Kevin Street in the new field of electrical engineering, he took to sea in 1941 with the British Merchant Navy, at a time when there was great peril associated with that job. His ship was bombed and torpedoed by the Nazis. He was present in Bari Harbour in 1943, in one of the greatest disasters of the Second World War, when the Anglo-American invasion fleet was bombed by the Luftwaffe, resulting in a major escape of mustard gas which the Allies had brought with them to be used in retaliation if the Germans used chemical weapons first. Chemical weapons were not used much in the Second World War, but the Allies used to bring them with them in case the Germans used them. The mustard gas brought by the Allies was released and, tragically, 1,000 young men and women died. As a result of the medical observations made in the post mortems-----

It is not usual for us to allow this type of tribute to be paid on the Order of Business.

We have done it before.

Only following a proposal from the Leader and for former Members of the House.

May I ask for the Leader's permission to continue for 30 seconds?

Okay.

The observations made as a result led, in many ways, to the discovery of cancer chemotherapy. I think it is appropriate that this man who lived such a wonderful and heroic life, who gave such great service to the State and who in the post-war years, after his part in the downfall of the Nazis, took part in the relief of the Berlin blockade by the Soviet communists should be remembered. He did his bit against despotism in the 20th century. I would like the record of the House to reflect our appreciation of what he did and our sympathy to his wife, Margaret, and wonderful family.

I, too, wish Emily O'Reilly well on her election to the position of Ombudsman for Europe.