Tommy Broughan (Dublin Bay North, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I am delighted to have the brief opportunity to comment on the appointment of the new Government or, rather, this rehashed and still very feeble Government. On a personal level, I am sure the Taoiseach, Deputy Varadkar, and his Ministers will find their elevation satisfying. I wish the new Taoiseach and his ministerial team the very best in their new and old portfolios. There is no indication this restructured Government, with its minus 22 seat minority, will give any better direction and care to the Irish people than the earlier Fine Gael-led austerity Government has since 2011.

In May 2016, in a speech on the formation of the Government of the Thirty-second Dáil, I called it a sham Administration which was providing cover for its Fianna Fáil puppet masters to pretend they and their conservative Fine Gael partners were both in Government and Opposition at the same time. I note that at least the Taoiseach, Deputy Varadkar, has not ruled out a Fine Gael-Fianna Fáil coalition in the future. Hopefully Dáil numbers in the Thirty-third Dáil will not permit Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil to swap places and carry on the current charade after the next general election. The ambition of all parties on the left of this House should be to work towards the day when both Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael will be together in Opposition in this House.

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