Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I will not lower myself to that standard, not on this particular day anyway. I also congratulate the new Tánaiste and wish him well. Like Deputy Martin, he passes through Tipperary when he goes to Dublin. I also congratulate the newly appointed Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation, Deputy Heather Humphreys. It is a very important brief because of Brexit, which is having a huge impact already, especially on the Border counties. We are staring it in the face and we need it dealt with, along with employment in that area. I also wish the new Minister, Deputy Madigan, well in her new portfolio. It is sad that these appointments had to come in this particular fashion.

After the congratulations, the comhghairdeas and wishing the Ministers well, I have to say that the Taoiseach must get a firm grip on what is going on. During the talks, the Taoiseach's predecessor promised us that there would be a huge change, a sea change, at administration level and in the public and Civil Service as a result of the election. Sadly, that has not happened. It has to happen. This whole debacle, the Taoiseach's own admissions and those of the Minister for Justice and Equality yesterday, have made it blatantly clear that all is not well in the Department of Justice and Equality. All is not well in many Departments. The ordinary people whom we are supposed to represent are being let down by those of us who serve in here.

I take grave offence at the comments of Deputy Mary Lou McDonald suggesting that her party is the only Opposition. She might look past Fianna Fáil and see us over here. Every day we are championing causes, sometimes when very few others will. We will be holding the new Ministers to account on many issues. Above all, we must get the whole sea change, or at least some kind of a change, in the attitude of the public service. There are thousands and thousands of excellent public servants, but when it gets to the top it seems that people are very powerful and very indifferent to Ministers, who are held accountable by the electorate. If we cannot change the attitude, we will have to insist that the Secretary Generals be elected by the people. They have to be held accountable in some shape, make or form. I wish the new Ministers well in that but, on behalf of the Rural Independent Group, I am putting forward the caveat that we will be watching them and all their actions line by line.

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