Noel Rock (Dublin North West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Tairgim:

Go n-ainmneoidh Dáil Éireann an Teachta Enda Kenny chun a cheaptha ag an Uachtarán mar Thaoiseach.

I move:

That Dáil Éireann nominate Deputy Enda Kenny for appointment by the President to be Taoiseach.

I stand today to nominate An Taoiseach, Deputy Enda Kenny, to continue in his role as Taoiseach of this country. Since I last stood to nominate An Taoiseach, Deputy Enda Kenny, he, along with the Fine Gael negotiating team, has initiated discussions with 15 Independents. These discussions have not been undertaken lightly and in total have amounted to more than 50 hours of real, substantive discussions. This demonstrates our seriousness towards the work of forming a government that will work and will last. This process and these discussions will take time but any process that is to last will take time. The resilience and the determination shown by the Taoiseach in attempting to bring together a new partnership government has been admirable. His commitment to sitting down with Independents and our party to work on a process, together with an independent facilitator and an independent rapporteur, to put together a process of real substance has brought about a document of real substance.

The discussions, as one would expect, explored key policy areas such as housing, health, improving the lives of people with disabilities, climate change and providing family-friendly child care and a substantial document has been produced arising from these 50 hours of deliberations and discussions between Independent Deputies and Fine Gael Deputies. This document is simply a draft foundation document at this point in time. However, it points the direction for a solid foundation for further discussions and a solid foundation for a potential government.

No democracy can function without compromise and from the Twenty-sixth Dáil onwards we have seen compromise and coalition become a permanent fixture and reality of Irish governance. This is no bad thing, and the process that we see before us is no bad thing either. What we now need is patience and composure. While I acknowledge the people want a government - we all hear this on daily basis and understand it - there is a need to ensure that any government which is formed can work cohesively in the best interests of the people. This process takes time and resilience.

Unfortunately, there are those who wish to take their seats in here while permanently committing themselves to hugging the Opposition benches tightly and pursuing their so-called ideological perfection instead of the reality of compromise and governance. Good for them. However, the reality is this country needs a government. As Robert F. Kennedy once rightly said, "one fifth of the people are against everything all the time". I think the public can rightly guess which fifth of the people in here that phrase might describe. Let us hope they stay at that level of just one fifth. Parliaments simply cannot afford too many passengers. We need decision-makers and people who are serious about forming a government.

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