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Thu 05 May 2004Notable contributionWhen Ireland's EU Commissioner for Health and Consumer Protection, Mr David Byrne, left Dublin for his surprise appointment to Brussels, farewell notices spoke of his "low-key" term as Attorney General and of a man who enjoyed the buzz of politics but did not have the clout or style of some of his predecessors.But, though low-profile during his terms as Attorney General and commissioner, Mr Byrne showed he was more than a loyal pair of hands. He contributed significantly to the sensitive management of a number of politically difficult issues, from negotiations on the Belfast Agreement to the establishment of the Flood, Moriarty and Hepatitis C tribunals at home, and to the aftermath of the BSE crisis in Brussels.