The Government yesterday honoured the contribution of Senator Ted Kennedy to Irish affairs and the 40th year of his entry into public life by funding in his name a new chair in Health Service Management in Trinity College Dublin.
Making the announcement at a ceremony on Capitol Hill yesterday, the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, said Mr Kennedy had been "a true friend of Ireland in difficult as well as good times".
"He has been steadfast in his support for peace and reconciliation in our country," he said. "Moreover, his many notable achievements during his distinguished career as a US Senator mark him out as someone very special indeed and greatly deserving of this honour." Specifically, the Taoiseach said, his contribution to healthcare policy was admired internationally.
Mr Kennedy, who also marked his 70th birthday last month, said he was enormously personally grateful for the honour. He said that both he and his family shared a great sense of pride in their Irish roots and "the pursuit of excellence in public health has been a lifelong goal". And he quoted Yeats to conclude: "My glory was that I had such friends."
Trinity's Provost, Dr John Hegarty, said in a statement that the creation of the chair was "an important and exciting initiative for the college and the country" and would allow the college to develop a leading research and educational unit.
The holder of the newly endowed chair will head the Senator Edward Kennedy Centre for Health Service Management at the college, which will draw together expertise from a number of areas to explore new methods of health service provision.
Health policy has been a central Kennedy concern for many years and sharply divides him from the Bush administration, most notably over the issue of meeting drug costs for pensioners. Indeed, the Taoiseach earned his warmest round of applause at Chicago's Northwestern University on Monday when he responded to a question on the issue by describing the Irish free drugs scheme.
