James Reilly (Dublin North, 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 resignation of Deputy Phil Hogan, a Member for the constituency of Carlow-Kilkenny.

Commissioner Phil Hogan was first elected to this House in 1989 and was re-elected in every subsequent general election. This was in no small way due to his reputation for serving his constituents to the best of his ability. I congratulate the former Deputy on becoming Ireland's new Commissioner and securing the important post of Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development. He will now play a real and important role in shaping the future of Irish and European agriculture, and also the future direction of Europe in a broader sense. I wish him every success in his important work in Europe.

The House is aware that this Government reformed the Electoral Act in 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 writ so the people of Carlow-Kilkenny can be fully represented in the Dáil once again. We propose a polling date of Friday, 22 May 2015. The Fine Gael Party is proud to put forward an excellent candidate, Councillor David Fitzgerald, who I know is ably qualified to represent the needs and interests of the people of Carlow-Kilkenny if elected to do so by the people. I had the honour of canvassing with him last week.

It is inevitable that throughout the course of this by-election debate there will be a focus on the state of the country and the role being played by the Government in the future direction of the country. The plan we have been implementing for economic recovery is working and our country is now moving in the right direction. Ireland is on the path to recovery. This Government has a proven plan for the remainder of this decade to secure and strengthen that recovery, and we are never going back to the days of boom and bust. This Government has got the public finances under control and we will continue to prioritise the restoration of our national competitiveness and the stability of public finances in the years ahead. None of this would have been possible without the sacrifices of the Irish people.

Our plan will ensure a fair sharing of the benefits of recovery with those already at work. The Minister for Finance, Deputy Noonan, has secured up to €750 million in tax cuts for Ireland's workers as part of the next budget. A similar amount will be available for the later years of this decade, allowing for a multi-year programme of targeted tax cuts for Ireland's low and middle income workers. It is the goal of this Government to make work pay and pay more. This Government's jobs plan will lead to full employment by 2018 and a return for our emigrants. Strong growth in jobs is funding tax cuts for working people, and more people in every part of the country will start to experience the economic recovery in their daily lives.

The greatest risk to recovery, job creation and a brighter future is the risk of political instability. This Government will 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. With those jobs, there will be more taxes and resources to keep our people at work, repair damaged services and restore our society.

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