Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)

On my way to Arbour Hill this morning, I received a telephone call from a man called Mr. Gormley. My heart gave a jump because I thought it might be the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Deputy Gormley, to say he was interested in not supporting the Taoiseach elect, Deputy Cowen. When the traffic lights at Christchurch turned green four times in a row and the traffic did not move, I happened to notice the billboard which said we are spending €34 billion on the Transport 21 programme. I inform the House that the gentleman in question was not the Minister, Deputy Gormley.

Ba mhaith liom comhghairdeas a dhéanamh leis an dTeachta Brian Cowen, go pearsanta agus ar son mo pháirtí, as bheith tofa agus ainmnithe mar Thaoiseach le dul chuig Uachtarán na hÉireann chun bheith deimhnithe mar Thaoiseach ar mhuintir na hÉireann. Is cúis áthais dó, dá bhean chéile Mary, dá mháthair May, dá chlann, Sinéad agus Maedhbh, agus do mhuintir a dháilcheantair é a bheith tofa mar Thaoiseach. Tá cúis acu bheith bródúil as. Chas m'athair agus athair an Teachta Cowen, go ndéana Dia trócaire orthu, ar a chéile anseo go minic. Chas mise ar athair an Teachta go minic freisin anseo. Cé nach bhfuil sé linn inniu, bheadh sé mar cúis bhróid aige a mhac a bheith tofa mar Thaoiseach agus is onóir iontach mhór í sin duit. Is tú an úillín ór dod mhuintir inniu. Déanaim comhghairdeas leat arís, ar mo shon féin agus ar son mo pháirtí, ar an onóir mhór a bhronnadh ort anseo sa Dáil inniu.

Esto Fidelis is the motto of Offaly, the faithful county. The Taoiseach elect has epitomised that in his attitude to his party, his constituents and the previous leaders of the Fianna Fáil Party. He has always placed great store on political loyalty and spoke in this House on numerous occasions about the virtue that that is. The challenge facing Deputy Cowen when he receives his seal of office and names his Government is to balance that loyalty against the requirements of the national interest and all our people, whom he now represents.

The enormous privilege bestowed on Deputy Cowen by the Dáil today must be tempered by the enormous responsibility this position carries. That responsibility will sometimes mean the Taoiseach elect will have to make decisions in the loneliness of his own office and without the collective energy of those around him. Those decisions must be in the public interest and the national interest and must be justified from that point of view. It will require the Taoiseach elect to have far stronger and assertive management of our economy than was evident in recent years.

As Deputy Bruton pointed out, we are now in a position where there is a currency crisis for exporters with the fall in the dollar and sterling. There is a requirement for real intervention by Government to restore Ireland's competitiveness as a trading nation. There are clearly infrastructural inadequacies of road, rail, power, energy and broadband. There are almost 100,000 young couples facing the prospect of negative equity in the housing market next year. There are the consequences from the fall-out of a 50% reduction in house building and all it brings. There is clear evidence of the tax take being in freefall and public finances heading for an unprecedented deficit. There is also the evidence of a lack of development of a real world-class education system rather than a veneer of perfection, as we are painted with on a regular basis. Clearly there is a requirement to implement and enforce legislation passed by this House, particularly in the area of justice because of what we see happening on our streets.

We must play a greater part as a small nation in the bigger scheme of things on a global scale. As the Minister, Deputy Gormley, pointed out, we have obligations regarding climate change, energy and food security and in dealing with poverty. There is a requirement to build up confidence in our people.

From the perspective of the Taoiseach elect, I hope he will continue the work of all his predecessors in respect of the Good Friday Agreement and deal with the imminent threat of dissident groups planning to disrupt what has been achieved after so much hard work and commitment by so many people. This party has always supported the implementation of the Good Friday Agreement in full. We stand and will continue to stand by that.

We are now five weeks from the referendum decision on the Lisbon treaty. This will be the first electoral challenge for the Taoiseach elect. He is aware that the Fine Gael Party for many months has been campaigning openly, publicly and strongly in favour of a "Yes" vote on the Lisbon referendum. I am sure that by now, if he has not done so already, the Taoiseach elect will recognise I am both qualified and able to make a judgment on a matter like that. If evidence of my commitment on that is required, if the Taoiseach elect is being driven past Westland Row in the morning, I will be there from 7.15 a.m. to meet customers and consumers as they go about their daily business.

Any other credits or plaudits being sought will have to be earned. The Taoiseach elect can start this evening at his first Cabinet meeting by indicating clearly his resolve and intent to lead a new style of Government for a country that needs a change in Government because of the challenges it faces. He can start with the first item on the agenda, the rejection of the ministerial pay increases. He should return with a different Minister for Health and Children and he should announce his proposal to develop a realistic programme for Government that can be delivered within the timescale of the Government he will lead.

I hope the Taoiseach elect will restore the primacy of this House and that he will ensure that major announcements are made in here.

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