Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The Dáil has, so far, not agreed on the nomination and appointment of a Taoiseach and, as I informed the House on 10 March, in accordance with the Constitution the Government and I continue to carry out our duties and will do so until a new government has been appointed.

After the general election, I undertook to work towards establishing a stable and lasting government. I invited the parties, alliances and Independent Deputies who are willing to work towards that objective to enter into structured discussions with the Fine Gael Party. Some 15 Independent Deputies, and for a time the Green Party, agreed to take part. That process, as people are now aware, involved over 50 hours of discussions and negotiations. I thank all of those who, for whatever length of time and to whatever degree, participated in that process during which a wide range of policy issues were discussed and put forward. I also acknowledge and fully respect the right to abstain from votes on the formation of a government until agreement is reached on the composition and the policy programme of a new government that is elected and agreed.

Following the last Dáil sitting on 6 April, I met the leader of the Fianna Fáil Party, Deputy Micheál Martin, to discuss how a stable and lasting government might be put in place. I proposed the establishment of a full partnership government which would include the Fine Gael Party, the Fianna Fáil Party and Independent Deputies, because I believe that would be the best option for providing the country with a stable and lasting government. That partnership proposal was based on the parity of esteem referred to by Deputy Ross, which would both reflect the decision of the electorate and respect the mandate given to the individual parties and Deputies who accepted responsibility to work with and towards the development of a lasting government working in the interest of all the people of the country. We are now nearly seven weeks on from the general election and it is time to focus with a sense of urgency on what we must do. I remain fully committed to that objective and I sincerely hope that in the short time ahead, this matter can be progressed to fruition and a conclusion.

Clearly, there are a number of major challenges facing the country, both internally and from abroad. The careful management of the economy and public finances must remain a priority, particularly in the current uncertain and complex international economic environment. In just over ten weeks, the people of the United Kingdom will vote on whether to remain a member of the European Union. This decision may have far-reaching consequences for Europe and Ireland, and for Northern Ireland in particular. We must also continue to address the real challenges in our health services and in the areas of homelessness, housing, mental health, disability and so on, issues which have been identified by a great number of people both during and since the election. We must also continue to provide jobs for our people and continue growth in investment and employment.

For these reasons it is incumbent on all of us who have the privilege of serving in this Thirty-second Dáil to intensify our efforts to provide the country with a stable and durable government. As Taoiseach and as leader of the party with the largest number of seats in the House, I remain fully committed to working to ensure that the people get that kind of government. I hope that everybody who accepts responsibility and wants to do something about this will face up to that responsibility and participate. The House will adjourn tonight until Wednesday, 20 April. We should all ensure that in the coming days we use that time to redouble our efforts to form a stable and lasting government.

I know Deputy Martin has a parliamentary meeting after this session of the Dáil and I invite him to meet me to authorise the continuation of discussions and negotiations on the formation of a government. I would be happy to authorise such progress with Deputy Martin, if he so wishes.

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