Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Go raibh maith agat, a Cheann Comhairle. Go raibh maith agaibh as ucht bhur gcuid vótaí. Gabhaim buíochas le Peter agus Heather do na focail cineálta.

I accept this nomination to serve as Taoiseach and commit to doing everything I can to honour the trust placed in me today. I thank my party, Fine Gael, and our partners in government, Fianna Fáil and the Green Party, for their votes, and the Independent TDs who supported my nomination. This is a partnership Government and I intend to lead it in a spirit of unity, collaboration and mutual respect.

I pay tribute to the outgoing Taoiseach, my colleague and friend, Deputy Leo Varadkar. The history books will record the incredible service he gave our country in dealing with some of the biggest challenges of our time, most notably Brexit and the Covid-19 pandemic. History will also record he was a trailblazer as we broke free from some of the worst prejudices of our past and showed Ireland at its best to the world. Go raibh maith agat, Leo.

I also pay tribute to my friend and colleague, Simon Coveney, who is stepping down as a Minister after serving our country with distinction in many roles over many years. In particular, no objective analysis will ever forget all he did for our country during the darkest days of Brexit. Today we acknowledge that and thank him for his contribution to Ireland. I know it is a contribution he will continue.

Today is a special day for me. When I started campaigning on issues close to my heart and got involved in politics, I chose this life. However, my family did not. They have been very patient today. Through every step of the journey, they have supported me without question. I particularly thank my parents, Mary and Bart, who are here today. They have been my driving force, making many personal sacrifices for their three children. I hope they can be proud of their eldest son because I know I would not be standing here were it not for them. I thank my sister, Gemma, and my brother, Adam. They are my best friends and we are each other's biggest supporters. I also thank my nana, who is here today. My biggest thank you goes to my wife, Caoimhe, who is my rock and an incredible mother to our two beautiful children. Lastly, to my children Saoirse and Cillian, who mean the world to me, I promise that being your dad will remain my most important job.

It is 13 years since I made my maiden speech in this Chamber to nominate Enda Kenny as Taoiseach, someone who went on to fulfil the considerable faith many of us had in him. He led a Government that helped rescue our economy and restore our economic sovereignty. Back then I reflected on the values I thought were needed for the job in hand: integrity, honesty and a work rate which cannot be surpassed. As Taoiseach, I will demand of myself what I saw as important then. To return to the words I spoke that day, I promise "to preside over a government committed to public service, at a time when such commitment is so urgently required". I believed then that a Taoiseach should work every day to realise the hopes, dreams and aspirations of all our people, and I still do. I accept this new role in a spirit of humility, ready for the challenge and full of energy and determination about what can be achieved.

As Taoiseach, I want to bring new ideas, a new energy and a new empathy to public life, but politics is never about the officeholder. This is not about me but about all of us working together to serve the people. We as a people and country have over the past 100 years worked tirelessly together to create our own future. Collectively, this country can and should be proud of the progress it has made. The number of people with a job is higher than ever before and the number accessing education is among the highest in the European Union, but now is an opportune moment to build a new social contract, one which renews our promise as a Republic to create equality of opportunity, to support those who need the State the most and to protect our hard-earned economic success and use its benefits to deliver tangible outcomes to society.

Time is short and there is much to do. Housing remains the greatest economic and societal challenge of our generation. Today I recommit to moving mountains to help build more homes and drive more home ownership. I will work tirelessly to support the delivery of Sláintecare and will prioritise the delivery of mental health services and a step-change in how we care for our older people. I mean this seriously. I want to work with colleagues across the House to deliver real and meaningful reform for people with disabilities. As Taoiseach, I want to see everyone reach their full potential. I want to help create an Ireland that drives innovation and creativity, that is passionate, tolerant and respectful, that gives every child an equal start in life, that protects our children's future by acting decisively on the climate crisis, and that values community and rural and regional development.

This is a time of great challenge and a time in the world where leadership matters. In Ukraine, we see brave and courageous people standing firm against unprovoked war and aggression. In Gaza, we are witnessing a humanitarian catastrophe and seeing innocent children, women and men being starved and slaughtered. We have not been silent on the unforgivable terrorist actions of Hamas on 7 October, nor can we be silent on the disproportionate reaction of the Israeli Government. As a country, we will play our part in helping bring about a ceasefire and a lasting peace. Later this week I will travel to Brussels and deliver those messages to Europe on behalf of the Irish people.

Ireland's position in Europe is vital to our economic and social success. It has in many ways become part of our national identity. Yesterday I was honoured to join Government colleagues in meeting with the First Minister and deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland at the North-South Ministerial Council. As Taoiseach, I pledge to guard and honour my role as protector and guarantor of the Good Friday Agreement. We have much more to achieve for all communities on this island and I look forward to working with the Northern Ireland Executive. Ireland must never take peace or freedom for granted. Our political history has been defined by our quest for freedom: freedom of country, freedom of conscience and the freedom to achieve freedom. In the 21st century, our destiny is to build on these achievements and to provide hope, opportunity and a better future for all. This must be our mission and our pledge to the generations to come.

While I am proudly the leader of Fine Gael, I will lead a coalition of three parties. I sincerely promise to be a Taoiseach for all. No matter your political persuasion, I will work with and for you and for the country we all love. I will be a Taoiseach who will listen. My message is simple: I want to work every day to improve the lives of all in this country. Fuelled by hope and driven by a vision of a better Ireland, I will provide a new leadership and energy. I intend to act decisively in the best interests of our people.

Going back centuries, our shared history is more than simply a narrative of oppression, resistance and courageous triumph over adversity. It is a story of belief in each other and faith in the future. The Irish story is a story of hope. A spirit of optimism sustained us in the darkest of days. Today, once again, we must ensure it lights our way forward. Let us not make the mistake of giving into pessimism and despair about our future. History has been written in Dáil Éireann many times since January 1919. We can and must write it again by rising above partisan politics and working together to solve the greatest challenges of our time. The people expect us to do more; we should demand of ourselves no less. Go raibh míle maith agaibh.

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