Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the four new Members, Deputies Malcolm Byrne, Pádraig O'Sullivan, Mark Ward and Joe O'Brien, and their families. It is not just today that their families will be aware of the effort that goes in to getting elected. Most people become an overnight success after 15 or 20 years and usually much time goes into this feat. This is a memorable day. Like Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan, I was elected in a by-election and it is a very different experience from a general election because the new Deputy might come here in the middle of a term or, in this case, at the end of the life of a Government. We will soon find out if this will be measured in weeks or months.

I wish the Deputies well and reiterate the point made on turnout. There was good engagement on the doorsteps but it was very obvious there was a high degree of disillusionment. People were forthcoming in telling us what the issues are and we must take very serious note of them. We will speak about what is probably the primary issue in a Private Members' business debate tonight. I again wish all four Deputies and their families well.

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