Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I dtús báire, a Cheann Comhairle, ba mhaith liom mo bhuíochas a ghabháil leatsa as a bheith tofa mar Cheann Comhairle. Lá stairiúil é gan dabht. Is tusa an chéad bhean a bheith ina Ceann Comhairle. Guím gach rath ort mar Cheann Comhairle agus táim sásta a rá go mbeidh mé féin agus muid i bpáirtí Fhianna Fáil lánsásta comhoibriú a dhéanamh leat. It is a great honour for you, a Cheann Comhairle, to have been elected as the first woman Ceann Comhairle. It is an historic day. I assure her of our co-operation as a party for the next five years. She will have the co-operation of all of us in that regard.

I also take the opportunity to wish the outgoing Ceann Comhairle, Deputy Ó Fearghaíl, our sincere gratitude and thanks for his outstanding service to the nation as a most distinguished Ceann Comhairle who operated with tremendous dignity and who added great dignity to the office of Ceann Comhairle during his terms. Anybody who was in Dáil Éireann both before 2016 and since 2016 could not but be struck by the tremendous reform that took place under Deputy Ó Fearghaíl as Ceann Comhairle. A far greater resource is now available as a result of the reform package of 2016 and its aftermath, the Parliamentary Budget Office being one aspect. There are now tremendous resources to facilitate research into policy and greater resources all round for Members. Moreover, every Member is treated with equal respect across the aisle of the House, and I thank the outgoing Ceann Comhairle for that.

In respect of the motion and nomination before us, one of the things that most encourages cynicism about politics is when our time is wasted on empty gestures and grandstanding. There is no better way to describe the decision by Sinn Féin to propose its leader for the position of Taoiseach today. I think we all know that no one has the support yet to be elected as Taoiseach today. There is no new Government available yet. Not one Deputy will change his or her mind based on a vote being called today. After the previous election, Sinn Féin argued that the party that had received the largest vote should lead the Government. That was the position after 2020, so if the party were being consistent, it would be in the process of nominating me today.

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