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

I dtosach báire, déanaim comhghairdeas leis na hAirí nua atá ceaptha anseo tráthnóna. Is lá ceiliúrtha agus den bhfíorthábhacht é dóibh siúd atá ceaptha agus dá muintireacha. Guím gach rath orthu leis na dualgais a bheith orthu as seo amach. Is é an rud is tábhachtaí agus is práinní ná béim a leagan ar pholasaithe substaintiúla agus iad a chur i bhfeidhm ar mhaithe shaoránaigh na tíre. Caithfidh an Rialtas an conradh atá againn leis a chomhlíonadh go huile agus go hiomlán. Is léir do chách go bhfuil géarchéim úafásach fós ann i gcúrsaí tithíochta agus sláinte agus go bhfuil easpa muiníne as ár gcóras dlí agus cirt. Ní mór dúinn na fadhbanna práinneacha seo a réiteach go héifeachtach.

To be nominated to serve as a member of Government is a great honour. It carries with it great responsibilities. Each person nominated by the Taoiseach today to continue in Government, or to join it for the first time, has the right to be proud of his or her achievement. I offer my congratulations to each of them, their families and the large body of supporters that stand behind them.

This Government is being nominated at a profoundly challenging time for our country, Europe and the wider world. Many of these challenges have grown over the past year because of the policy of drift and inaction which was to be found in almost every Department. In no area has the past year seen sustained progress in setting out or implementing substantial reform, policy or service development. All those appointed will be members of a Cabinet which has run out of excuses and must now start to have an impact. They will be measured not on glossy brochures and launches but on the hard substance of whether they are delivering. The public has long since stopped listening to the spin and is angry with the policy of repeated denial of the existence of problems or false claims of progress based on misleading statistics.

To those who have been left off the list, I am sure that for the time being they are satisfied with reassurances that they will be considered for a position as Minister of State. Given the number of promises that appear to have been handed out during the leadership race it will be interesting to hear what will be told to the five Fine Gael Deputies not on the list and left without a portfolio. The use of the superior junior Minister, conceived many years ago to facilitate former Deputy Pat Rabbitte, is beginning to be abused in that there are now four super junior Ministries. This seems to be an avenue of convenience for taoisigh to resolve very difficult choices.

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