The former Labour TD and Minister of State, Emmet Stagg, has died aged 79.
Deputy Stagg was a TD in Kildare from 1987 to 2016, and held a number of Minister of State positions during Labour governments.
He was also the Labour Party’s chief whip, as well as deputy chief whip in the Fine Gael-Labour coalition in 2011.
In a statement, Labour leader Ivana Bacik said:
“I want to pay tribute to our friend and colleague Emmet Stagg on his passing, and extend our deepest sympathies to his wife Mary, children Gillian and Henry, extended family, friends, and supporters.”
“Emmet had a continuous unbroken record of 29 years’ service in the Dáil from 1987 right up to 2016 in the constituencies of Kildare and Kildare North following in the proud Labour tradition of William Norton there.”
“Emmet was a pillar of Labour politics, both in Leinster House, and in Kildare, and he will be greatly missed by all who knew him. He was kind and considerate, and maintained a keen interest in Labour politics even after leaving the Dáil.”