Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The Taoiseach, Deputy Enda Kenny, has now fulfilled his and Fine Gael's ambition of being elected Taoiseach for a second and consecutive time. It is a proud moment for him and for his family and I wish him well on my own behalf, personally, for the time ahead. That said, I could not support his reappointment as Taoiseach on a political level. Along with his Labour Party coalition colleagues he has spent the past five years inflicting on citizens some of the meanest and harshest cuts ever seen in this State. The Fine Gael-Labour Party term in office, the Thirty-first Dáil, was characterised by cronyism and patronage, serving domestic and European elites instead of the citizens of this State. That Government used its majority to railroad regressive legislation through the Oireachtas, including introducing water charges, establishing Irish Water and setting up the family home tax, also known as property tax.

It frequently guillotined legislation and ignored entirely the mandate and views of the Opposition. Its general election campaign, inspired by the British Tory party, failed miserably and the electorate rightly rejected both Fine Gael and the Labour Party.

What did the electorate do? They demanded change. That was the first clear message of the election result. Things have changed and they will continue to change. The days of Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil dominating Irish politics are now clearly over. In their desperation to try to halt the inevitable, both these parties are now party to a Government and programme for Government, and Fianna Fáil also claims to be in opposition. Who does it think it is kidding? This is an effort to slow down the process of fundamental political change which is under way, but it will not wash and it will not work. Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael are playing for time, kicking the inevitable down the road. It is all about political control and political power, nothing more or nothing less. That is why Fianna Fáil is content to support Fine Gael in Government. That is what it has chosen to do.

Did Deputy Micheál Martin or any Fianna Fáil candidate say to the electorate in the recent general election, "Vote Fianna Fáil and put Enda Kenny back as Taoiseach."? Sinn Féin and those we represent did not vote to re-elect Enda Kenny, nor did those who voted for Fianna Fáil. However, Sinn Féin, unlike Fianna Fáil, once again opposed the appointment of the Taoiseach, Deputy Enda Kenny. We did not abstain today. By its actions, Fianna Fáil has forfeited its leadership of the Opposition as a result.

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