Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Gabhaim buíochas leis an gCeann Comhairle agus guím comhghairdeas air agus ar a chlann arís tar éis dó a bheith tofa inniu. Táim an-bhródúil a bheith ag caint inniu mar ionadaí do mhuintir an Chabháin agus Muineacháin.

I am honoured and privileged to stand here as a representative of the Cavan-Monaghan constituency. As the House may know, it was the constituency that returned the hunger striker Kieran Doherty as a Deputy in 1981 during darker times for our country. It was also the constituency that elected Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin in 1997 as the first Sinn Féin representative to take a seat in the House. I stood on Kildare Street on the day he first walked through the gates of this building as Sinn Féin's sole Deputy. I cannot imagine how I would have answered anyone who suggested that, 23 years later, I would be one of two Cavan-Monaghan Sinn Féin Deputies alongside Pauline Tully and that we in turn would be part of a 37-Deputy Sinn Féin team following Caoimhghín's pathway. The notion that I would be making my maiden speech as part of a Sinn Féin team that had the same number of seats as Fianna Fáil and a greater number of seats than Fine Gael, and that our party would have won the popular vote at the general election, would have been considered fanciful throughout much of the time that Caoimhghín sat on these benches.

I commend Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin on his service to the people of Cavan-Monaghan, our country and our party. The growth of Sinn Féin over the past three decades is a testament to his work and dedication. I thank Caoimhghín and his wife, Briege, and their children, Aisling, Sinéad, Cliodhna, Deirbhile and Órán, for their contribution to Irish public life and republican politics.

I commend all those others, far too numerous to mention, who played a part in building our party over so many years. Some are no longer with us. For the others, today is a poignant occasion.

The general election of 8 February 2020 will be marked in history as the day that Irish politics changed forever. While there were many architects of that change, one person epitomises and personifies the mandate for change, namely, Deputy McDonald, who is standing before us as a nominee for Taoiseach. I am pleased to have this opportunity on behalf of the people of Cavan-Monaghan to support that nomination. Deputy McDonald has offered solutions to the failures of successive Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael Governments. She has built and led a team that has outlined how we can support workers and families and give them a much-needed break while also investing in public services, sorting out the crisis in health care and building homes for the generations that have been locked out. She has offered answers to the challenges faced by struggling renters, overburdened parents, hard-pressed family farmers and communities crying out for a new dispensation. Above all, Deputy McDonald has offered hope for a large cohort of the electorate that we can build a better, fairer and united Ireland. I am proud today to be in a position to stand alongside other Deputies in support of her nomination for Taoiseach.

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