Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I wish the Taoiseach, his wife, Fionnuala and all of his family the very best of good luck, health and happiness for the many years ahead.

My late father held him personally in very high regard - the Taoiseach knows this himself, they both got on very well - and he always complimented the Taoiseach's record of work and his genuine commitment to politics. Whether or not people agreed with him politically, nobody could or can ever take that from the Taoiseach. He is a worker and that is a nice thing to be able to say about anybody.

When this is over, the Taoiseach will have more time to give in a very important place. That is a place called Kilcummin in Killarney, County Kerry. He will have more time to do the Ring of Kerry cycle. He will not have to be as quick; he can go a bit slower as he will not have as many places to go to and the end of it. The Taoiseach will actually be able to go into Murphy's or into the Fáilte on College Street and maybe even have a pint. The one thing he will be able to do is to watch Kerry winning another Munster final, take notes and go back to Mayo with them.

On a serious note, while I do wish him well, I also want to thank another group of people here today. That is the Irish people. When we talk about the recovery, the people who suffered, who sacrificed their incomes and who really had a tough time over the last years, were the Irish people. I think of those people today - those who are in pain and suffering; the young people who have high mortgages repayments and who are struggling, and those people on waiting lists who are still not sorted out. There is a big job of work to be done. I do not say this in a critical way but in a positive way to the incoming Government and the new Ministers. There is a massive job of work to be done and we must all stick together and work together, in a positive way, to reduce waiting lists, to ensure that people have work, to ensure our health system is something we can be proud of and not be critical of and people will not be blinded while waiting to have cataracts removed, and to ensure that farmers will have their payments on time. In other words, we must do our job properly and correctly. That is all I ask of the new Ministers, and I ask this is in the most positive way. I compliment the Opposition and everybody. We all just have to row in and do our job. It is as simple as that. Good luck to the Taoiseach.

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