Barry Cowen (Offaly, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Eventually, though, we find ourselves at the right conclusion, with a public tribunal of inquiry. We do not find ourselves in the mouth of an election. We do not find ourselves in the mouth of six months of paralysis, which Sinn Féin might welcome. We find ourselves at the door of a process that offers a solution, offers the truth and offers a resolution into the future for how these issues might be handled.

There is no doubt in my mind and in our party's belief that the people do not want an election. We want our agreement, in which we sought to facilitate the Government, implemented. We want budgets to reflect it. We want policy to reflect it. We want confidence restored in the prospect of Government achieving results, together with those of us given the privilege to be in the Dáil to assist with corrective action being taken in respect of the health service, the waiting lists and the National Treatment Purchase Fund doing what it did previously. We want action on the Brexit scenario and the potential damage it can do. We do not want the paralysis in the South that exists in the North when Brexit faces us. We want to address the regional imbalance. We want an Ireland for all, and this Government, like it or lump it, has the potential, and we all have the responsibility, to provide that.

There will come at a later juncture the potential for us and others to adjudicate on the implementation of that agreement, for us and others to adjudicate on the results of the Government's efforts to implement it. At that juncture, we will take stock of where we are and take stock of the people and their will, when we can go to the country with confidence and ask them to put those of us who took our responsibilities seriously, those of us who, when presented with a convoluted result last year, did not sit on our hands or go on manoeuvres or holidays, but sought to give vent to the people's wish, which was to provide a Government and governance.

I hope to be in a position to again give confidence to this Government at a later date when we come to the next budget and the following one and be in a position to go to the country and say we gave value for the votes we got, the 400,000 plus votes. We did not win the election but nobody else won it either. We took our responsibility seriously and insisted on a Government being provided to the people, one that can deliver, and if it does we will shake the hands of those involved and say well done. We will be delighted with our own performance in ensuring it did so.

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