Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the setting of 27 March for the Meath East by-election. I am mindful of the McEntee family who are still grieving and in mourning. I pay tribute to the work and life of the late Shane McEntee. Aontaím leis an méid a dúirt an Taoiseach faoi Shane. Ba Theachta Dála iontach é, fear macánta, cairdiúil. Everybody here wishes we were not having this by-election in the circumstances requiring it to be held.

Sinn Féin's candidate is Darren O'Rourke, the only candidate who stands outside the consensus for austerity, which is the consensus of Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and the Labour Party. Despite the tragic circumstances surrounding this by-election, it will provide an opportunity for people to give their verdict on this Government and, more importantly, to vote positively for the type of policies they thought the parties in government would introduce when elected. People voted for change in 2011 and in this regard voted out the previous parties in Government, having believed the promises made by the current parties in Government, which promises were torn up very quickly.

The Meath East constituency is a convergence of all that happened in terms of the many families who moved from the capital to the commuter areas, purchased expensive homes and are now in mortgage distress, some of them living in areas wherein there is no proper infrastructure. It is my hope that citizens take this opportunity to vote positively in this election and for Sinn Féin by voting for Darren O'Rourke.

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