Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I want to start by wishing the outgoing Taoiseach, Enda Kenny, well. Tá muintir Fhine Gael agus Mhaigh Eo buíoch don Taoiseach agus tá mé buíoch don Taoiseach fosta. Ní aontaím leis ar a lán rudaí, ach tá a fhios agam go ndearna sé a dhícheall.

Sinn Féin and Fine Gael did not agree on many issues and I did not see eye to eye on most political issues with the Taoiseach, but I have always found Enda to be friendly on a personal level, and I want to wish him, his wife, Fionnuala, and his children, Naoise, Aoibhinn and Ferdia, well in the time ahead. His departure from office will be a big change in all of their lives and in his life also. I hope that he get loads of time to enjoy that.

I will miss you. I will miss your entertaining tales of meetings you have had and, indeed, meetings you have not had, and recollections of people you have met along the way, like the man with the two pints in one hand. I will miss your optimistic energy, your jizz, your sense of mischief, and your ability to field questions without giving the smallest clue as to your attitude to the questions you were asked. Forty-two years is a long time to be in the Leinster House bubble and you have earned your time off outside this place. So has the Minister for Finance, Deputy Noonan. I wish the two of you well. Go n-éirí an t-ádh libh.

There have been successes, for example, marriage equality and the way the Taoiseach captured the popular mood about the unacceptable attitudes in history of the Catholic hierarchy. However, it is important, and he would expect me to do this, to note that there have been abject failures, for example, his consistent refusal to recognise the state of Palestine for reasons beyond me and despite the Oireachtas support for it, the squandering of the largest mandate in the history of the State as the Fine Gael-Labour Government reneged on election promises, kowtowed to the elites in the EU and the banking and finance sectors, and saddled the people of this State with a debt of €65 billion. According to the Minister, Deputy Noonan, in the Seanad last month, the debt was approximately €25 billion before the crisis in 2007 and has increased to €200 billion, eight times more than what it was in 2007. No one has really been held responsible for that. This lack of accountability - this failure to hold those in positions of power to account - is the greatest failure of all. It is an historical failure and is not all down to the Taoiseach. Other failures include the historical refusal to tackle white collar crime and stamp out corruption, the ongoing crisis in housing and homelessness, the chaos in our health service, the deep crisis in policing and justice and the Government's deeply flawed strategy for dealing with the challenges of Brexit.

The reality is that Fine Gael, no matter who is its leader, is firmly wedded to bad policies and bad politics. It does not serve all the people, it serves some of the people. The Fianna Fáil leader is no different. He is now going to elect a second Fine Gael Taoiseach. That will mean more hardship and greater disadvantage, not least for the people of rural Ireland, the growth of precarious work and poverty wages, more people locked out of the housing market and, ultimately, the widening of the gap between the rich and the poor.

Another of the greatest failings - it is an historical failure - has been a clear lack of affinity with the North, one of the deepest problems facing the political system here, and a clear lack of consistent strategic engagement with the process of change that is under way on this island. The British Government has refused to honour commitments on a bill of rights, dealing with legacy issues, Acht na Gaeilge and other matters. Holding it to account is the role of the Irish Government, and the Taoiseach in particular.

Leaving aside the renewable heat incentive, RHI, scandal, the reason the institutions are not functional is because the DUP has wilfully blocked the implementation of these rights. The Taoiseach rightly expressed concerns about any deal between the DUP and the Tories last Saturday. The only way to address this is through consistent, strategic engagement.

Yesterday, Sinn Féin met both Governments and the other parties and it is our intention to see the political institutions restored on the basis of equality, respect and rights for all. The British Government, however, will not play its part unless the Irish Government makes these matters a priority.

The Taoiseach can look back on his 42 years here and take satisfaction from his achievements, but the biggest challenges remain. Struggle is a continuum; it is an ongoing process. The struggle to build a rights-based society in which the people are sovereign continues. The struggle continues for an Ireland which has a public health service and affordable child care and where a home is a right, not a dream. The struggle continues for an Ireland which is united and where equality rules. The struggle continues for an Ireland - all 32 counties - which is the best small country in which to grow up, grow old and enjoy life. Such an Ireland is possible.

Enda Kenny is probably the best leader Fine Gael ever had. I do not blame him for not bringing about the objectives to which I refer. In fairness, perhaps they were never his intention. They are, however, Sinn Féin's intention and I call on everyone who shares these objectives to work for them, regardless of their party politics. Tá a fhios agam go maith go raibh an Taoiseach ag súil leis an méid a bhí ráite agamsa inniu ach, mar a dúirt mé, bhí sé an-chairdiúil. Rinne sé a dhícheall agus guím gach rath agus beannacht air féin, ar a bhean chéile agus ar a chlann san am atá le teacht.

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