Higgins tribute as former Fine Gael MEP Mary Banotti dies at 84

President Michael D Higgins has paid tribute to the former Fine Gael MEP Mary Banotti who has died at the age of 84. Ms Banotti served as an MEP for Dublin from 1984 to 2004 and was also a candidate for the party in the 1997 presidential election.

From Clontarf in Dublin, Mary Banotti worked as a nurse in the US, UK, Canada and Kenya before starting her career in politics. She was also a co-founder of Women’s Aid and served as chairperson of the Rutland drug treatment centre.

“May I join with all of those who have paid tribute to the life, work and generous personality of the late Mary Banotti,” wrote President Higgins.

“I extend my deepest sympathies to Mary’s daughter Tania, to her sister Nora Owen, to all of her extended family, and to her many colleagues and friends across Ireland, Europe and beyond.”

In his tribute, Taoiseach Simon Harris described Ms Banotti as a “trailblazer” who put environmental issues on the European agenda.

“Mary was a talented politician, a trailblazer and a joy to be around. She was smart, wise and funny,” Mr Harris said.

“Her energy was boundless and she always had a nugget of wise political insight or a witty observation,” he added.

The eldest of six children, Ms Banotti had previously written about the hard work her mother had done to put her children through education.

“Mary wrote once that her mother grafted hard to put her six children through education, that she wanted her children to make something of themselves. Mary Banotti did that, and then some,” Mr Harris said.

Ms Banotti was the grandniece of Michael Collins and her sister Nora Owen became the deputy leader of Fine Gael in 1993.

“Mary was extremely proud of her family. She was proud to be a grandniece of Michael Collins and proud to see her sister, Nora Owen, become deputy leader of Fine Gael.

“She was enormously proud of her daughter Tania and my heartfelt thoughts are with Tania, Nora and wider family,” Mr Harris said.