Ruth Coppinger (Dublin West, Anti-Austerity Alliance) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Independents who supported the nomination of the Anti-Austerity Alliance-People Before Profit. I will explain the context of taking part in the debate on the nominations.

The two nominees we have heard from already should be reminded that it is clear from the election that people voted for change. The only two nominees put forward today, apart from our nomination, are from Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael and do not represent change. They represent more of the same and have dominated political life in Ireland for decades. While I commend Deputy Martin on doing his best to convince us that there is a huge difference, it is Mouseland politics. In reality, they are identical twins.

It is amazing that key issues have not been mentioned by either of the nominees. Apparently, it is unimportant and not worth mentioning that this week the Panama papers revealed a massive concentration of wealth in the hands of a tiny elite globally. The papers also implicated Ireland in participating in creating tax havens for key companies around the world. The 1% are hoarding and hiding their wealth from governments and avoiding tax while in the so-called Third World people are starving and looking for water and in the developed world workers have had their incomes slashed and public services decimated in the past seven years to bail out this elite. Both of the candidates support this system. They have nothing to say in criticism of it. They think that this type of inequality is absolutely fine. In fact, they base their economic policy on encouraging low corporation tax rates and opposing some of these companies even paying back taxes to this country, such as Apple which owes €19 billion. These are key issues for the electorate who made a decision to elect a Government. The Anti-Austerity Alliance-People Before Profit believes that we must take this wealth and use it to invest in housing, health and education.

Amazingly as well, neither nominee mentioned the water charges. They talk about them on the radio, but they have not explained their position today. Are they going to get rid of the water charges or suspend them? The two parties are doing their best to minimise this issue and bat it out of the way. The Anti-Austerity Alliance-People Before Profit encourages people to maintain and accelerate the boycott of those charges. Clearly, we cannot rely on those two parties, and particularly Fianna Fáil based on its neglecting to mention the issue, to get rid of them. We will have to refuse to pay to put the parties under pressure to abolish them.

This is the first time a woman has been nominated for the position of Taoiseach in the almost 100 years of the Dáil's existence. That says a hell of a lot about the position of women in Irish public life over the last century. The Fianna Fáil Deputy mentioned that she is not a second class citizen. She is not, but in 31 Dáils no woman was ever nominated for Taoiseach and in the last Dáil there were no women Members of her party in the House, despite the party having 20 Members. Our point is that women have been sidelined in Ireland. In fact, key issues relating to women should be addressed. Quite rightly, 1916 has been mentioned. The women who fought in 1916 were quickly brushed out of the picture and erased from history. They were told to go back into the kitchens and stay out of public life. That is the reality. The political ancestors of the two other nominees did that, and it should be mentioned. Subsequently, they allowed the Catholic Church to dictate a huge part of people's lives by giving it a special place in education and health and huge control over people's lives. People rejected that type of society in the marriage equality referendum and have made their position clear. They want social progress and equality. A separation of church and State is inevitable, but I am not confident it will be done by either of the two parties that nominated Members for Taoiseach today.

Amnesty International staged a protest outside both the Dáil and the Taoiseach's office today, which it will continue for 12 days, on the ongoing scandal of the eighth amendment to the Constitution, which was introduced by the political ancestors of the two parties and maintained for 33 years. That shame can no longer continue. A total of 80% of people favour a referendum and repeal of the eighth amendment. Again, the nominees did not bother to mention it, but what about their negotiations and discussions? We do not want a commission to examine it. People want a referendum and there is a democratic right to have one and for those parties not to suppress it as an issue any longer. We will shortly discuss Dáil reform. It should not be the privilege of a Government to prevent the general populace having a referendum on a key issue of civil liberties, which it clearly wants.

Finally, I wish to mention housing. Many Deputies have left the Chamber to hear Erica Fleming speak about her situation. I commend Erica on campaigning for months in a very difficult situation. I took part with Erica in an occupation of a house to highlight the ongoing housing crisis. It is scandalous that she is still in the current situation. There must be an end to the privatising of housing. Taking that issue into public control is the only way to end the housing crisis.

With regard to the talks process, I do not welcome a Fianna Fáil or Fine Gael coalition or partnership, unlike what Deputy Martin said. However, if the two traditional parties and the so-called Independents, who have been having chats for the last while and who are not really independent because obviously they are willing to horse trade with the two traditional parties and prop them up if necessary-----

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