Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)

The election of a new Government is one of the great parliamentary occasions, and one of the great set pieces in Dáil Éireann. It is the first opportunity for the newly elected Members to present themselves in Parliament and it allows us to make some initial remarks on the formation of the new Government. Best wishes to those who have the privilege of being selected to serve in the Cabinet. It is in that spirit that I want to wish this Government a fair wind and to extend my congratulations to those fortunate enough to serve in that Government. In particular, I offer my sincere congratulations to the new Ministers. It is a tremendous day for them and for their families and a great privilege has been conferred on Deputy Brian Lenihan and Deputies Gormley and Eamon Ryan. It is a day they will not forget and I wish them well. I also take the opportunity today to acknowledge the remarkable achievement of Deputy Bertie Ahern in being elected Taoiseach for a third time. Without any ifs or buts, caveats or cavilling, I acknowledge that achievement and wish him well.

Napoleon would have approved of the Taoiseach, Deputy Ahern. He certainly has been a very lucky general. He became leader of his party in unforeseen and unforeseeable circumstances and, in 1997, he inherited an economy that was the most successful since independence. Building on that economy since then has not been the only factor, but it was the main factor that contributed to his most recent electoral success. However, it is my conviction that the Taoiseach is running out of both luck and road. I do not know how long this rickety coalition will last, but I suspect that it is designed to survive its main architect. The growing assertiveness of the Minister for Finance and the fact that he is being treated by the Taoiseach as if he were the head of a neighbouring state confirms my view that the Taoiseach may be taking his leave of us sooner than we might have thought.

This entente cordiale between the Taoiseach and the Minister for Finance is another pressing reason that all documents relating to the formation of this Government ought to have been laid before the House and should now be laid before it. The Members of this House are entitled to see the content of all deals and side deals. Independent Members are running around with confidential deals. They include deals worth tens of millions or even hundreds of millions and there is no way in the wide earthly world that we are entitled to see them. I believe that we are entitled to see them. We are also entitled to know if there is an agreement or side agreement with the Progressive Democrats. We would also like to know if there is an agreement providing for an orderly transition between the Taoiseach and the Minister for Finance.

The Taoiseach has never been known for his sense of humour, but perhaps it is because of his planned early leave-taking that he has inflicted us with such a dolly mixture of a government, to use Deputy Dermot Ahern's description of a far saner alliance. However, we should look at the dolly mixture we have now, composed of Fianna Fáil, the Green Party, the remnants of the Progressive Democrats and Deputy Finian McGrath and his unique backing group.

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