Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I move:

That, pursuant to section 39 of the Electoral Act 1992 and owing to the vacancy in the office of the Clerk of the Dáil, the Ceann Comhairle direct the Clerk-Assistant of the Dáil to issue his writ for the election of a Member to fill the vacancy which has occurred in the membership of the present Dáil consequent on the election to the European Parliament of Brian Hayes, a member for the constituency of Dublin South-West.

and

That, pursuant to section 39 of the Electoral Act 1992 and owing to the vacancy in the office of the Clerk of the Dáil, the Ceann Comhairle direct the Clerk-Assistant of the Dáil to issue his writ for the election of a Member to fill the vacancy which has occurred in the membership of the present Dáil consequent on the election to the European Parliament of Luke ‘Ming’ Flanagan, a Member for the constituency of Roscommon-South Leitrim.

I want to again congratulate the two former Deputies on their recent election to the European Parliament. They will both now play a real and important role in terms of the representation of our country in the European Parliament over the coming five-year period and also in terms of the future direction of Europe in a broader sense throughout that time. I wish them both every success as they continue their important work in Brussels.

The House will be aware that this Government reformed the Electoral Act 2011 by providing that a by-election must take place within six months of a vacancy arising. Accordingly, we have now decided to move the writs so the people of these two constituencies can be fully represented in the Dáil once again, and we propose a polling date of Friday, 10 October.

The Fine Gael Party is proud to put forward two excellent female candidates, Senator Cáit Keane in Dublin South West and Councillor Maura Hopkins in Roscommon-South Leitrim. I know that both candidates are ably qualified to represent the needs and interests of each constituency, if elected to do so by the people.

It is inevitable that, throughout the course of these by-elections, debate will once again centre on the state of the country and the role being played by the Government in terms of the future direction of our country. I am glad to report that the extensive plan we have been implementing for economic recovery is working and our country is now moving in the right direction. There are increasing signs of revival in the economy and it is our priority now to make sure that those who have not yet felt the benefits of recovery can begin to do so.

Thanks to the Government's plan, our economy is now one of the fastest growing in Europe and we remain absolutely focused on securing this recovery by continuing to prioritise job creation and investment. The Central Statistics Office has reported that 70,000 additional jobs have been created since we launched our Action Plan for Jobs. Long-term unemployment and youth unemployment are starting to fall. Consequently, the overriding objective of the upcoming budget will be to secure this recovery by introducing measures to incentivise new jobs, more work and more investment, while keeping a firm hand on the national finances to avoid any reversal of recent hard-won progress. The Government will, therefore, ensure that the progress we have made to date will not be jeopardised and that the people can trust the Government to make the necessary decisions to continue to build a strong economy that will provide quality jobs for our people, which is, after all, our ultimate aim.

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