Richard O'Donoghue (Limerick County, Independent) | Oireachtas source

The reason I got into politics - I have been a building contractor all my life and I am a block layer by trade - is that I want to help build for the future. I want to use my experience. I do not build for local authorities. I have always had our own jobs to do.

For 40 or 50 years, we have been promised infrastructure. The Minister of State, Deputy Niall Collins, who is sitting behind the Taoiseach, made promises in respect of Askeaton but the Government never delivered it. For 40 years, a Fine Gael councillor looked for it to be delivered but it was never delivered. That councillor has now retired and there is still no infrastructure. We look at Oola and Dromcolliher. I can go around the counties and see all the promises that were made. These are towns and villages in Limerick that looked for infrastructure but never got it. We are talking about 40 years of promises. Every time there is an election, there is a promise, but it is never delivered. After 15 or 20 years in politics, they have never delivered for the people of Limerick and this is reflected across the country because there has been no delivery of infrastructure.

If we have infrastructure, we can build. That is the foundation but we do not have it. It has never been invested in. We are looking for everyone in every county to be given a fair shake at it, but the Cabinet must reflect that. If every member of the Cabinet is from one base, it will never rebuild Ireland. The team has to be right and the team has to reflect this country. The team the Taoiseach has does not.

See this speech in context