Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Gabhaim buíochas leis an gCeann Comhairle. Ar dtús guím gach rath ar an Aire nua, an Teachta Joe McHugh, agus ar na hAirí Stáit, na Teachtaí Seán Kyne agus Seán Canney, agus leis an Aire atá ag dul go dtí baile eile, an Teachta Richard Bruton. Guím gach rath ar a gclanna agus ar a lucht tacaíochta.

I congratulate Deputy Joe McHugh on his accession from the high chair to the senior table. He gets all of the good wishes of every Deputy in the House personally. He is somebody who has made a huge effort with every Deputy, both as Chief Whip and as Minister of State. I welcome his family, particularly former Deputy Olwyn Enright, to the Visitors Gallery. This is a huge night of celebration. Very few people have served around the Cabinet table and it is a great honour. I know it is an honour Deputy McHugh will carry very well and one he will respect. I know he will do his country, his county and his party proud in the Department of Education and Skills.

Guím gach rath freisin ar an Aire Stáit nua, an Teachta Kyne. It will be an interesting job as Chief Whip in the coming days but I am more interested in his position as Aire Stáit na Gaeltachta. Tá taithí mhór aige ar mhuintir na Gaeltachta ach caithfimid a bheith ag obair ar son mhuintir na Gaeltachta chun iad a spreagadh. Táimid faoi lánbhrú sa Ghaeltacht i láthair na huaire chun í a choimeád agus a choinneáil beo. Tá brú mór agus beidh brú mór ar an Aire Stáit nua chun é sin a réiteach le haghaidh cibé am a bheidh aige san oifig.

I congratulate Deputy Seán Canney on coming back to Government. It is a kind of Lanigan's ball - Canney steps in, Canney steps out again, Canney steps in again. I wish the Minister, Deputy Bruton, every success and think it is a good choice.

I wish Deputy Naughten every success. However, the events of last week have cast a great pall over the national broadband plan. It is typical that the Taoiseach did not have confidence in the Minister to continue yet he continues to have confidence in the plan. It is now up to Deputy Bruton to ensure the plan works. Every time the Taoiseach quotes rising from 52% to 75% coverage, he alienates and annoys the 25% who are further away from broadband than ever. Some 25% of people have been cynically exploited by the commercial companies, which literally will provide their neighbours with coverage and not provide them with coverage as they await the national broadband plan. The Minister, Deputy Bruton, will not have time to get settled in because he has to deliver on the broadband plan and he also has to deliver on our actions on climate change. Last Monday's report probably got lost in the maelstrom of budget, Brexit and everything else, but climate change is the No. 1 issue facing our world and our country when all the other issues have passed.

We wish Deputy Joe McHugh every success in the Department of Education and Skills. We have placed education at the heart of confidence and supply in terms of our commitment as a party. We secured the return of guidance counselling and the reduction in the pupil-teacher ratio. Education is central to our country's prospects for achievement. The Minister will face challenges in dealing with the ongoing issues of new entrants, of teaching principals and the pressure on the secondary education curriculum. In particular, there is the issue of third and fourth level education, which face massive challenges in terms of our expectations and our new role as the country and the world changes, and also in terms of funding and how we match all of those together. We wish him every success in dealing with these challenges as we move forward.

Deputy Canney will take up the role of the Minister of State, Deputy Kyne, as Minister of State and we wish him success. He will bring his experience of his previous role as Minister of State. I hope he has better trust in the Taoiseach's word than his former colleagues in the Independent Alliance in terms of keeping him there, but he will have the support of everybody in the House.

This is a special day. It is special for the four men - which we note, negatively - who have been appointed to Government and a special day for their families. The hard work will start in the morning. I know Deputy Thomas Byrne will hold the Minister for Education and Skills to account in the House on Thursday evening's education questions. The four should enjoy this evening and enjoy the sense of achievement for their families, friends and supporters. Let the real and very hard work in front of them commence tomorrow morning.

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