Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

With its motion of no confidence the Sinn Féin party is saying it wants an election. It is saying it believes an election is just what we need now. Sinn Féin wants an election, despite the pressing need to establish a tribunal of inquiry without delay in order that we can get to the truth of this matter, despite the need for stability and coherence in the face of Brexit and other significant international challenges, despite the large body of work under way on the part of the Government in a number of vital areas such as job creation, housing and rural Ireland, and despite the fact the last thing the country needs is a second election in the space of a year, with protracted negotiations on forming what would likely be another minority Government.

Despite all these issues, Sinn Féin wants an election. The party is attempting to collapse the Government just like it collapsed the assembly in the North. It is displaying, quite proudly, the same reckless approach it consistently takes to matters of state. Meanwhile, the Government is focused on the substance of the matter - to achieve justice for the McCabe family. The focus now should be on letting the tribunal get on with its work so that we can get to the truth.

It is a pity another McCabe, Detective Garda Jerry McCabe, is not around to see Sinn Féin's new-found support for the members of An Garda Síochána.

I call on the Sinn Féin Members in the Chamber tonight to explain what this motion does for the McCabe family. This is nothing less than good old-fashioned Government bashing and political opportunism at its worst.

It is worth referring to Fine Gael's record on the economy. The Fine Gael Party has driven the economic recovery since 2011. Growth rates of 4.5% are the highest in Europe. Some 200,000 jobs have been created since 2012 across every sector. Unemployment rates have been halved and the economy is now bigger than it was before the crash. In addition, we have increased the minimum wage and the old age pension. On behalf of the Government, I led the extremely successful commemorative programme with more than 3,500 events nationwide. The commemorations were inclusive and respectful.

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