Thomas Pringle (Donegal, Independent) | Oireachtas source

This is the real Independent group.

I will not support Deputy Micheál Martin for Taoiseach because we know what kind of Government we will get from the proposal. It is a Government of the establishment and a Government committed to the establishment. In the programme for Government, there are 127 reviews, 68 examinations and 44 considerations of policy, but little else. It lacks actions, vision and the change that citizens voted for. Based on the programme, people will be worse off at the end of the Government's tenure. It is a Government of inaction on the issues hurting our people most, namely, housing, health, climate, equality and discrimination, the issues that matter for people. The Prime Minister of a small country, Jacinda Ardern, summed up what the programme for Government will be. She stated:

Economic growth accompanied by worsening social outcomes is not success. It is failure.

For that reason, I will not support the programme for Government. I wish the incoming Government well personally but I hold little hope for the people of Donegal or of Ireland during its tenure.

There is also a nomination for Deputy McDonald as Taoiseach but I will not support that either at this time. Unfortunately, Sinn Féin is preparing itself for government and has rowed back on a lot of stuff n recent times. We will see more of that over the current Dáil and, for that reason, we will need to keep watch. That is what I will be doing. I will be watching the Government and Opposition to ensure they serve the people well.

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