Dáil debates

Thursday, 20 February 2020

Taoiseach a Ainmniú - Nomination of Taoiseach

 

2:05 am

Photo of Darren O'RourkeDarren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Gabhaim buíochas leis an gCeann Comhairle agus guím comhghairdeas air freisin as a bheith tofa. Táim an-sásta an deis seo a ghlacadh tacú le hainmniúchán an Teachta Mary Lou McDonald mar Thaoiseach. Is mór an onóir agus an phribhléid dom é sin a dhéanamh.

I am very happy to support the nomination of Deputy Mary Lou McDonald to the position of Taoiseach because I believe it reflects entirely the mandate given to this Dáil and my party, Sinn Féin. In particular, I believe it is the mandate given to the Deputy by the people of Ireland on 8 February who want her to be Taoiseach.

Many commentators said the general election result was seismic and I agree. There can be no doubt about it. The election was uplifting, positive and liberating. This was an election full of hope for a better and brighter future and it prescribed a clear mandate and message for us today. People are hungry for change and, throughout the election campaign, they said enough was enough. They said that as a country and people, we deserve better and we demand better.

I think everyone in this Chamber can agree on that. They said we deserve better in health and housing - the national scandals. However, they also said they wanted a break from sitting in congested traffic; from public services that do not exist, work or make sense; and from working from morning to night not seeing their kids during the week but not having the few spare euro needed to treat them at the weekend. This is the life, or the existence, created for them by previous Governments and they want change. On 8 February, the people spoke. Hundreds of thousands of them came out and voted for change like never before. More than 530,000 people voted for Sinn Féin alone. As a result, as we enter the early months of a new decade, people are now more hopeful than ever that change is possible. They are more hopeful that politics and politicians will deliver that change. They do not expect miracles but they will not accept excuses. They know enough about the world and have seen it done well elsewhere so they know their demands are entirely reasonable and realisable.

This Dáil has an unprecedented mandate for change. More than any other party, Sinn Féin is the party that received that mandate for change. More than any other leader, Deputy McDonald is the leader who received that mandate for change. Deputy McDonald would be in every way a fitting Taoiseach. She has shown that in spades. This is a unique opportunity in the history of our country. I urge Teachtaí to support Deputy McDonald for Taoiseach to lead a Government for change and to implement a programme for change that is fitting for the clear wishes of the Irish people.

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