Taoiseach Simon Harris has paid tribute to former Fine Gael MEP Mary Banotti, who has died at the age of 84.
Born in Clontarf in Dublin, Ms Banotti was a sister of former minister for justice Nora Owen and a grand-niece of the Irish revolutionary leader Michael Collins.
Prior to her election to the European Parliament, she worked as a nurse and was involved in a number of social causes, occasionally appearing on RTÉ television.
She served as an MEP for the Dublin constituency for 20 years when first elected in 1984.
She was also the candidate for Fine Gael in the 1997 presidential election, however she was unsuccessful, coming second to Fianna Fáíl's candidate Mary McAleese.
In 1999 she was appointed as Ireland's first Goodwill Ambassador to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).
She contested the 1983 by-election in Dublin Central to replace the former Tánaiste and Fianna Fáil TD George Colley, but was not elected. She was also unsuccessful in a bid for the Seanad, before ultimately being elected as an MEP for Dublin.
During her time as a Fine Gael MEP, Mary Banotti was noted for her work on combatting child abduction.
She campaigned to remove the ban on divorce. In 1975 she told RTE's 'Seven Days' programme that "there is a great need for humanisation of laws and acceptance. Let the laws accept the human condition as it actually is".
In recent years, Ms Banotti often appeared on various television and radio programmes.
In a statement, the Taoiseach paid tribute to Ms Banotti, saying that she was "a talented politician, a trailblazer and a joy to be around".
"Mary was a former TV presenter and a co-founder of Women's Aid, which opened Ireland’s first women’s refuge," he said.
"She also served as chairperson of the Rutland Centre for Drug Abuse and her work in healthcare and women's rights was evident throughout her committed and assiduous career in the European Parliament.
"She also focused in on and put environmental issues on the European agenda long before it was the widespread thing to do and was named one of the top 10 environmental legislators in Europe.
"Another area she broke new ground was in her work supporting parentally abducted children in the EU, the first person to hold the official role."
The Taoiseach said: "Mary did so much with her life and had so much to be proud of, but she was humble.
"Her energy was boundless and she always had a nugget of wise political insight or a witty observation."
Ms Banotti is survived by her daughter Tania Banotti.
