Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

It represents a major challenge to Government to treat the Oireachtas seriously and to build support for policies. However, it is also a challenge to every Member of the Oireachtas. As we have seen since the election, there are those who want to maintain the model of dominant government and total opposition. They do not like the challenge of finding compromise and building consensus. They want to maintain a winner-takes-all system so that some day they might get their turn. They are satisfied with the narcissism of large differences, where there is no such thing as a middle ground and where the only valid differences are those based on ideological clarity. We reject that approach and believe the people elected all of us to put in place a government and play a full and active part as parliamentarians in developing and enacting policy. With no fixed majority in the House, the only way any of us can pass measures is to make our case and build support.

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