Former minister for finance Paschal Donohoe has delivered his final speech in the Dáil, calling on his successor, Tánaiste Simon Harris, to continue to prioritise funding for libraries.
Mr Donohoe said he is confident whatever progress that was made in the Irish economy in recent years will only be further improved by Mr Harris.
He added that he was proud of how libraries have been supported in recent years and called them "cradles of decency, beacons of light in a world which is changing so much".
Mr Donohoe said we should be proud we are in a country that values them and invests in them "and recognises the value of reading and recognises the value of a place that offers both solitude and community at the same time".
He asked if the Tánaiste would reaffirm the support of Government to continue prioritising this vital public service and to continue to invest in libraries in future budgets.
Responding, Mr Harris said that he "never thought he would see the day that Paschal Donohoe would ask me to spend more money".
Mr Harris thanked him for his support for library projects over the years.
He added it was 5,364 days since his maiden speech in the Dáil and Mr Donohoe stayed true to his values throughout.
"As you address this Chamber for the last time, as you depart the Dáil, I was trying to think of how best to define you.
"How best to define your great contribution to our country and I turned to one of your own favourite authors, from a book you gave me a couple of weeks ago from Timothy Snyder, in which he said, 'A patriot wants his nation to live up to its ideals which means asking us to be our best selves.
‘A patriot must be concerned with the real world, which is the only place where his country can be loved and sustained.
‘A patriot has universal values, standards by which he judges his nation, always wishing it well and wishing that it would do better.'
"Paschal, you have been nothing if not a true patriot," Mr Harris said.
The former minister, who is taking up the role of Managing Director and Chief Knowledge Officer in the World Bank, thanked all those who allowed him to serve in the Dáil, the communities that elected him, the staff that he worked with in the House and his own team who worked so closely with him in what he said was "a tough week for them".
Mr Donohoe finished by wishing everyone in the House "happiness health and success in representing their constituents".
He has written to the Clerk of the Dáil to officially tender his resignation as a TD for Dublin Central.
