Emmet Stagg (Kildare North, Labour)

The vacancy in Kildare North was created by my personal friend and political opposite, former Deputy McCreevy. He was a good friend of mine, and I wish him well in his banishment to Europe. Appreciation has been shown on the Government side for him, and it was a pity that it was not shown before he was shifted out, since he certainly did not want to go. That is well known there and everywhere else — it is certainly well known in Kildare.

For the information of the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Deputy Dermot Ahern, I have been canvassing with our candidate, who was selected without difficulty, since last November and not merely for the last few minutes. I welcome the Government's decision to accede to the demand of the Labour Party leader, Deputy Rabbitte, and others that the by-election be held in Kildare North without further delay. Given the disarray in Fianna Fáil ranks in the constituency, it is understandable that they were anxious to put off the day of reckoning for as long as possible.

The disarray to which I refer is well known. The two Fianna Fáil front runners refused to tog out and withdrew from the field of play altogether. Subsequent attempts by Fianna Fáil headquarters to impose a candidate of its choice was and is resisted by the other potential candidates in Fianna Fáil and to make matters worse for Fianna Fáil, the front-runner among the others lives, works and operates politically seven miles outside the Kildare North constituency. He is the likely successor.

The real reason Fianna Fáil sought to delay the by-election in Kildare North was that it was not ready, it had no candidate and it was in disarray. However, despite the disarray in Fianna Fáil ranks, the combined pressure from Labour and Fine Gael forced the Government, including Fianna Fáil, to cave in and agree to an early date for this election. This is a good day for democracy in general and especially for Kildare North. The electorate will now get the opportunity to pass judgment on the litany of failures and broken promises in my constituency of Kildare North.

The Labour Party did not have the same difficulty as Fianna Fáil in finding a candidate. In October last year, the Labour Party selected poll-topper Councillor Paddy McNamara as its standard bearer to contest the Kildare North by-election. Paddy is a young married professional who has been togged out and campaigning since then. He has identified five major issues that are of serious concern to the citizens of north Kildare, problems arising from false promises and under-provision — they are transport, education, child care, housing and health.

In each of these vital areas of policy and service provision, the Government has failed to deliver or keep its promises. Trains are packed to danger point. New tracks and carriages have not materialised as promised. Pregnant women can no longer travel on trains because of the crush. Promised buses have not been purchased. An extra 15 buses were intended for north Kildare under the Government's plan and they have not been delivered. They would make a huge difference to the morning queues in Celbridge, Maynooth, Leixlip and Naas. The M50 is a modern instrument of torture or very expensive parking lot and all we get are promises of more of the same or worse, as the Taoiseach told us.

Paddy McNamara found our education system to be in a state of crisis. There are prefabs at every school in north Kildare, both secondary and primary, but some schools cannot get funding for prefabs from the Government. In Sallins, for example, 50 pupils who were otherwise eligible to do so could not be admitted to primary school this year. In one school in Naas, the entrance age is six years because there is no room to take the pupils. All we have got are houses from massive zoning, mainly by the Fianna Fáil councillors at Kildare County Council level, without the required infrastructure being put in place. Child care and health were two other issues mentioned by my colleague.

Our candidate, Paddy McNamara, is togged out and ready for action. I now invite Fianna Fáil to find its best man or woman and give him or her a jersey. We should have no more delays. The referee's whistle has been blown and I am confident that at the end of the game, our man, with the co-operation and assistance of the other parties in opposition, will take the seat in Kildare North.

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