Danny Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent) | Oireachtas source

A Cheann Comhairle, I congratulate you on attaining another term as Ceann Comhairle and I thank you for the excellent and fair way in which you carried out your duties during the last Dáil. I thank the people of Kerry who voted for one of two Healy-Raes, especially those who voted for me. I also thank the people who canvassed for me and who went out and worked for me. I do not call them a team but an army. On one specific evening, 162 people left a place in Killarney and headed off in every direction to help me get re-elected. Many of the local newspapers and other media had me written off. They had me dead and buried. The story in the local newspaper was that Fianna Fáil was smelling my blood but I have all my blood yet and it will have to wait a while before it gets any scent of it. It was on the wrong trail and scent. I am glad to be standing here in this Chamber today, having been elected again by the people of Kerry. I thank each and every person who did anything and everything for me and who ensured that I got re-elected.

I do not know who will be on the Taoiseach's side of the House and in government but they will have to listen to the needs of the people whom we represent. Our health service in Kerry is in a shambles. There are people on chairs instead of trolleys now. The cry is now from people who have been in chairs for 48 hours and who want to at least get onto a trolley. That is not good enough. It is not the way to be dealing with our sick people. People get sick and get old and they need to be treated fairly and squarely, as they have not been treated.

On mental health, suicide is ravaging our county and I know it is doing the same in others. We have hardly any mental health service at all in Kerry. There is not one mental health bed. With regard to people with disabilities, it is a shame and a disgrace that elderly parents' biggest worry is what will happen to their disabled son or daughter. They may be 78 or 80 years of age and wondering where their Johnny or Patrick will go when they pass on.

A new thing came out during the election campaign. Pensioners who worked for 40, 45 or 50 years of their lives and who served this country well cannot be asked to go on the dole for two or three years. That is absolutely ridiculous. It is unfair and it is not right or just. We will not stand for that, whoever is in the Government.

I want to thank especially the people who saw my back was to the wall. I saw it in many of the boxes in east Kerry. I want to thank them for giving me between 60% and 90% of the votes that came out of the boxes. I do not believe that happened in any other part of the country for any other candidate. I thank the people who did that for me to ensure I was returned to represent them in this Parliament, Dáil Éireann. I am most thankful and grateful to them.

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