Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)

Ní bheidh Teachtaí Shinn Féin ag tacú le ainmniú an Aire Airgeadais mar Thaoiseach. Nílimid ag tacú leis an Rialtas seo. Tá sé in ainm agus a bheith ina chomhrialtas, ach i ndáiríre is Rialtas Fhianna Fáil é a ligeann do Mary Harney agus do na Glasaigh páirt a ghlacadh ann. Níl difríocht dá laghad idir polasaí an Rialtais seo agus polasaí an Rialtais idir Fianna Fáil agus an Páirtí Daonlathach idir 1997 agus 2007. Ba mhaith linn go mbeadh treoir nua le Taoiseach nua agus go dtí go mbeidh sin ann ní féidir linn tacú leis an moladh seo.

The Sinn Féin Teachtaí Dála will not be supporting the nomination of the Minister for Finance, Deputy Brian Cowen, as Taoiseach. The record of Governments dominated by Fianna Fáil since 1997 has been such that we cannot endorse them by voting for their nominee. The current Government, since its formation in June last, has shown itself to be essentially a Fianna Fáil Government, with the participation of the Minister, Deputy Mary Harney, and two Green Party Ministers. It is neither a partnership Government nor a coalition in any real sense. It continues the policies of the Fianna Fáil-Progressive Democrats Governments led by the outgoing Taoiseach for over a decade.

We see the results of those policies today in our crisis-ridden health service, poorly resourced schools, the worsening drugs scourge and violent crime, the deep divide between the privileged and the marginalised and the economic slump brought about by over-dependence on the property market. We could wallpaper the Dáil with Fianna Fáil election manifesto promises of more hospital beds, the end of hospital waiting lists within two years, a network of primary care centres, the extension of the full medical card to an additional 200,000 people, tens of thousands of social and affordable homes, zero tolerance of crime, protection of Irish neutrality and so on. All have been defaulted upon.

The outgoing Taoiseach and his Cabinet colleagues have shown themselves to be serial defaulters. That said, the incoming Taoiseach now has an opportunity, just one year after the general election, to change all that and to take Government policy in a new direction. We have always said that if a Government proves itself worthy of support, then the Sinn Féin TDs will give their support to such a Government and to the Taoiseach at its helm, irrespective of who he or she may be. What we require and, more importantly, what the people require is a Taoiseach and a Cabinet that place equality at the heart of Government. Such a Government would transform our health services, ending the two-tier system, putting patients first and allowing health care workers to provide care for all on the basis of need alone. It would ensure that every school, hospital and primary care centre was fully resourced and provided premium public services. Such a Government would base housing policy on the needs of the people for homes and not on the greed of a voracious market that has left tens of thousands of families without homes or in crippling mortgage debt. Such a Government would support communities and provide the means to tackle both the demand for and the supply of drugs that are causing such misery and mayhem in our society.

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