Brendan Griffin (Kerry, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

We do not know what exactly will happen here over the next couple of weeks and months, and we do not know yet whether to put the posters in front of or behind the turf in the turf shed but, hopefully, their time in the Thirty-third Dáil will not be too short.

I thank in particular the more than 10,000 people in Kerry who gave me their first preference on 8 February and the more than 14,000 who voted to get me elected. I acknowledge their great support. I am hugely grateful and humbled to be returned to Dáil Éireann for my third term. I say to those people that their voices will not go unheard in this Chamber. It is important that we all bear in mind that no one seat is more important than any other. We were all elected to represent our constituents. The people who voted for us did not vote for us to sit on the sidelines or for us not to be heard. Listening to some Members, we might be led to believe that their seats are more important than others; they are not. We have an equal responsibility and mandate here.

Deputy Danny Healy-Rae spoke about the 162 people who canvassed for him one evening. I think on that evening I had 163 out in the west and mid-Kerry area. I acknowledge the whole team, canvassers, people who put up posters, dropped leaflets or did anything in the campaign. Those people believed firmly that Deputy Varadkar should be returned as Taoiseach. I do too and that is why I support the motion for Deputy Varadkar to be Taoiseach. I want to see the fantastic progress that we have made in this country over the past two and a half years under his leadership, and over the past nine years under Fine Gael, continue. It is important to build on that progress. We have a lot more to do and there are many challenging issues to be addressed but we have come a long way from where we were when I took my seat for the first time, on 9 March 2011, particularly when we see this week that we are nearly at full employment. Let us bear that in mind going into the future. Let us not take it for granted. Our country is far from perfect but we have come a long way in a relatively short time. It is incumbent on all of us to protect that progress in the future.

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