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

I congratulate the Minister, Deputy Humphreys, on her move to the important portfolio of Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation. I also congratulate Deputy Madigan on her elevation to the important post of Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht.

These appointments have been made necessary by a resignation from which no one takes any joy, but which was absolutely required. That the Taoiseach and some Ministers are spending so much time trying to claim that nothing was wrong, and that vindication is on the way, is a sign of an unwelcome approach to recent events. As Fine Gael Deputies are willing to admit away from the microphones, the resignation of the former Tánaiste was more than justified by the failure to acknowledge repeated briefings, the provision of misleading information and the detached attitude to vindicating the rights of a grievously-wronged citizen at a critical moment. This stands independent of the other matters to be examined in the tribunal. It is important that people on all sides are capable of learning lessons from this crisis. It is important for everyone in the House to note that the co-ordinated attempt to say that everything is the fault of civil servants reflects poorly on the Taoiseach and the Government. It is something we need to keep a perspective on.

The enterprise portfolio is one of the most important in the Government. In my view, in recent years it has suffered from the obsession with minor steps and branding. Bigger strategic challenges have been neglected. The recent admission that the Government is abandoning core research and innovation targets marks the first time in 20 years that this area, which is so fundamental to our future, has been allowed to drift. Ongoing activities are being rebranded and launches are getting bigger, but the basic progress has stopped. I ask the Minister, Deputy Humphreys, to pay attention to this dimension of her new portfolio.

I wish Deputy Madigan the very best in the Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht. It is a very important portfolio. Her first task should be to ensure the provision of ring-fenced funding to, and the preservation of, the RTÉ orchestras, which are so vital to our national cultural life. There should be no threat hanging over them.

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