Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)

Only last week Government Deputies brazenly voted confidence in the Taoiseach, Deputy Cowen, yet the Government is terrified of the electorate. It does not have a mandate to govern because it stood in an election and did not put forward any of the policies it is now implementing. What is even more bizarre is that we are discussing a writ for a by-election in Dublin South but one of the Members from that constituency is absent. Where is the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, Deputy Ryan? In the past, the Green Party position was to hold by-elections within a very short period of time. I believe he, like Members of Fianna Fáil, is afraid of the electorate.

What I find interesting in this debate and what has not been mentioned so far is that the convention is that when a by-election is required the party which lost the seat moves the writ and it is accepted. I find it very strange that this motion was tabled by the Labour Party. I thank it for moving it because writs should be moved within three months. The writ was not moved by Fine Gael. Is it also afraid of the electorate of Dublin South? I do not believe any of the parties of the right or the Green Party represent the 11,000 people who are unemployed in the Dublin South constituency or the many more who are on low or reduced pay because of Government decisions. I do not believe they represent the hundreds, if not thousands, of people who are close to losing their homes, who have negative equity or who cannot pay their mortgages or the thousands more who are on the housing waiting list.

On 29 April 2009 when a motion was moved in regard to the Dublin South by-election, which returned a Fine Gael Member, I said the Government needed to prepare legislation or a constitutional amendment, if required, to ensure by-elections are triggered within three months of the death of a Member, the expulsion of a Member because of bankruptcy or the resignation of a Member. In this instance, there should have been a by-election within one month. There is no reason that by-election should not have been held. To delay it further is undemocratic.

The people in Dublin South are not fully represented in this House. The massive anger reflected not only in Dublin South but throughout the State needs to be heard in this House and expressed by somebody elected to represent that anger.

There is no mandate for the Government's actions in shackling future generations with a debt not of their making or of our making. This debt was created by a Government decision to bail out a corrupt, zombie bank and those who gambled on the market and in that bank. There is no mandate for slashing public service pay and for cutting public services. As a former Minister, Deputy O'Dea, did at the weekend, there is no mandate to encourage emigration - to encourage our young people to leave our shores.

I urge the Government to accept this motion and move the writ in order that we can have a by-election and the people of Dublin South can be fully represented. I agree with others that rather than a by-election, we should have a general election at this stage. However, given the Government is not willing to go for a general election, the by-elections should be held now not only in Dublin South but also in Waterford and Donegal South-West.

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