Rory O'Hanlon (Cavan-Monaghan, Ceann Comhairle)
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Before calling on the Minister of State at the Department of the Taoiseach, Deputy Kitt, I wish to make a brief comment. Although it does not arise today, in view of the relative lack of clarity in the procedural rules concerning a motion to move the writ for a by-election, I wish to make two points. First, I am allowing the motions to be moved on short notice, in accordance with precedent whereby the four day notice was not insisted upon by a number of my predecessors.

Second, where arrangements for taking a motion for the issue of a by-election writ are included as a proposal on the Order of Business that day, the motion should be taken after and not before or during the Order of Business. In taking the motion after the Order of Business, the Deputies' right to move the motion is not being denied but I feel the House should be afforded the opportunity to make its own arrangements for taking the motions as it sees fit before the motion can be taken. This means the proposal on the Order of Business would be taken first and would accord with our modern practice of organising business in the Dáil.

Tom Kitt (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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I move:

That the Ceann Comhairle direct the Clerk of the Dáil to issue his Writ for the election of a Member to fill the vacancy which has occurred in the membership of the present Dáil, consequent on the resignation of Deputy McCreevy, a Member for the constituency of Kildare North.

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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I have great pleasure in supporting the motion for the issue of this writ today in respect of the by-election in Kildare North. I do so as a successor to the outgoing Deputy, Mr. McCreevy who, as all Deputies will acknowledge, has served that constituency with great distinction, both as a backbencher and as a Minister in successive Governments. Kildare North has benefited in the past eight years particularly from the strong voice that Mr. McCreevy represented in Government on behalf of the people of the constituency. He did so effectively and despite his critics, from whom we will hear shortly and in the weeks ahead, the people of the constituency know precisely the stature of that record and the impact he has made.

The Government looks forward to going to the people of Kildare North to ask them in a sensible way whether it is in their interest that they face the prospect of not being represented by a Government Deputy for the next two and a half years, given the enormous contribution their outgoing Government Deputy made in the past seven or eight years. I believe the people will give a resounding affirmative answer to us in reply to that question.

Based on Mr. McCreevy's record and that of the Government, we are anxious and willing to have our record tested at this time. The only two people who will outwork us on this election campaign are Deputies Durkan and Stagg, whom I am sure will be out day and night working hard for their prospective running mates for the next general election.

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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All the indications are that Deputy Stagg is already out running for one of the new brooms which Deputy Rabbitte has brought forward, whom we wish well in their first electoral contest. I was amused by some of the commentary last night about the prospect of the Government deferring this by-election and the Opposition being very anxious to get out there and show the substance of the Mullingar accord, as it lowed with the other livestock in that area.

I was a by-election candidate who had to wait for six months when the then Government, composed of Fine Gael and the Labour Party, decided that the people of Laois-Offaly could wait for more than six months before it was prepared to take on the motion at that time.

Olivia Mitchell (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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Look at the prize they got in the Minister.

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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I am glad to see Deputy Stagg has concluded his canvass for this evening and has returned to the House. From the Government's point of view, the people of Kildare North have an opportunity to decide if three Opposition Deputies will serve their purposes over the next two and a half years or whether they would like to have a Government representative to add to their two distinguished Members from Fine Gael and the Labour Party. We will choose our candidates and we will go forward with a real charter of achievement which was accomplished by my predecessor in the Department of Finance, the long-serving Deputy, Mr. McCreevy.

During the course of the campaign I will be in the happy position to refer to many of Mr. McCreevy's achievements, which have benefited not only the constituency but the country as a whole. To be able to go into a by-election on the basis of reducing unemployment, which is now down to 4.2% of the total workforce — some 86,000 out of work of a total of 1.8 million — is an unprecedented record for any Government.

When one examines the package of tax reform, those who go to work, very many of whom live in Kildare, are better off. Since Fianna Fáil returned to Government in 1997, it has reduced the live register by 2,840, notwithstanding that there has been an increase of more than 27,000 in the population of County Kildare. This is another indication of the huge impact this Government has made to the benefit of the people who live in Kildare North as part of the wider community and a country which is the most successful economy in Europe.

Eminent companies such as Intel, Hewlett-Packard and others have made a record investment in the constituency, exemplifying the modern economy we are building. Mr. McCreevy has a great deal more credit to take than he has ever sought, or has been given him by his opponents in this House, for the enormous changes for the better which have occurred in Kildare since he took the reins of representation in 1977.

Since then, important investment has been seen at Naas General Hospital, which issue Mr. McCreevy took up after the rainbow coalition looked on helplessly for three years. There was huge investment in the national roads programme and in non-national roads. Investment in public transport, which was a nil figure during the rainbow coalition, was resumed. All of these issues are an indication of Mr. McCreevy's impact and influence. Quite apart from the fiscal and financial policies he brought forward on behalf of the Government in successive budgets and which improved the disposable income of working men and women throughout the country, including in his own constituency, these are indications of the impact for the better he made for the people.

Since his leaving office and taking up his post in Europe, one is aware of the enormous admiration for Mr. McCreevy across the party political spectrum; an admiration not replicated for many of us in this House in terms of the esteem and respect in which he was genuinely held for his openness and forthrightness and independent-mindedness. Fianna Fáil and the Progressive Democrats will field two eminently suitable candidates for selection. The merits of our opposition will be extolled by Opposition Deputies this evening as this campaign begins. However, it cannot be contradicted that, as a Fianna Fáil Deputy for Kildare North, Mr. McCreevy was throughout his career a person who made a positive impact and a difference to thousands of people in the county of the lily-whites. We will produce a winner from the Government benches as this campaign begins as a result of the writ being moved.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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A.N. Other?

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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I see that Munster too is taking an interest in this Leinster championship campaign. From our point of view, the basic point needs to be reiterated. In what way, for the remainder of this Dáil term, does it suit or coincide with the interests of the people of Kildare North that we have another Opposition Deputy without influence or impact being suggested as a prospective candidate who will support their interests?

Tom Hayes (Tipperary South, Fine Gael)
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A weak argument.

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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In a democratic country, people can put their view, but I strongly contend that based on the record of the outgoing Deputy——

Bernard Allen (Cork North Central, Fine Gael)
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Whom the Government shafted.

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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——his performance, and the quality of life and improved situation of the people of Kildare, which they know about, which needs no extolling by me in this House and which will not be denigrated despite the best rhetorical attempts of the Opposition today or for the course of the next three weeks, the people of Kildare will see that it is in their interests to ensure that they are represented on the Government benches for the remainder of this term. The Government parties will bring forward two eminently qualified candidates for consideration by them and, at the end of the day, we will emerge successful.

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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I wish to share my time with Deputy Durkan.

Rory O'Hanlon (Cavan-Monaghan, Ceann Comhairle)
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Is that agreed? Agreed.

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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I am pleased that the Government has agreed to hold the two by-elections on 11 March. The objective of my party was principally to exercise our traditional prerogative in moving the writ for the Meath by-election. Since I made that announcement on Sunday, most of the indications were that the Government would vote down the writ. I am pleased therefore that in conjunction with the Labour Party, the Government has reconsidered and is now ensuring that the electorates in Meath and Kildare North will have their Oireachtas representation brought back to 2002 levels within a month. In fact, as the boundary commission has recommended that both constituencies will be entitled to an extra seat at the next general election, it is important that the electorates be given the opportunity to fill these seats at an early date.

I listened to the Minister, Deputy Cowen, who like myself is the product of a by-election. In his case, I remember canvassing in Ferbane, where I did not get too many votes, and where the by-election in question was, I think, on the same day as the European elections.

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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Is that right? It was not clear to me at the time. I am glad the Deputy has figured it out.

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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I also remember that after the Inchydoney meeting and the thinking that took place at it, the feeling was that the former Deputy McCreevy, then Minister for Finance, who in fairness was always his own man with his own view, was to be removed from the Cabinet or could stay there and be demoted. He was then dispatched to the relative safety of the European Commission where he could no longer be a thorn in the side of some backbenchers, because there was a perception that Fianna Fáil was suffering as a consequence of his being Minister for Finance.

In Kildare, Fine Gael has chosen as a candidate councillor Darren Scully, a young man with a very bright future. He is a first-time elected member of Naas Town Council, a young father acutely aware of the needs of north Kildare. No more than anyone else contesting a by-election, this is a difficult time for him. His mother passed away only last week, always an extra burden for any candidate of any party to bear.

Since the vacancy was announced last July, Fianna Fáil seems to have had some difficulty in the constituency and I am glad that as a consequence of the Cabinet meeting today, it has decided to hold its convention on Thursday. I listened to the Minister of State, Deputy Kitt, who has some relations in the contest, so let the party decides whatever it wants to do. I am sure stories will be told about the selection. However, I expect that the combined strength of the Fine Gael and Labour parties in north Kildare will ensure a victory in this case for the alternative Government.

I will speak only once in this debate. In respect of Meath we recognise the scale of the challenge. The Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources, Deputy Dempsey, is director of elections. I know that over the last 50 years, Fianna Fáil got an average of 47% of the vote in Meath and that the lowest it ever got was 42%, in the 1997 general election when John Bruton was Taoiseach. Given that performance, in fairness to the Fianna Fáil party over the years there is a considerable difficulty for anyone in trying to take that Meath seat. However, Shane McEntee is an exceptional candidate and the people of Meath are fair-minded. In the previous general election they gave two seats to the Fine Gael party and we intend, with an outstanding candidate, to fight this by-election very competitively, to win and to put the credentials of Shane McEntee before the electorate so that it will restore the balance as it did through its general election vote in 2002.

Both constituencies, making up as they do one of the fastest-growing conurbations in the country, epitomise all the difficulties now faced by modern constituencies on the edge of greater Dublin in terms of commuter travelling times and pressure on housing, mortgages, schools and health services. The Government has failed appallingly in so many of these areas, which is why it must contend with massive public meetings where frustration and anger are expressed by people. The Government members will feel that is they canvass.

Noel Dempsey (Meath, Fianna Fail)
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Are they the meetings the Deputy organised against the M3?

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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It was the Minister, Deputy Noel Dempsey, who made the point the other day that he wanted long days for the by-election. The people of Meath are well able to make up their minds on the quality of the candidates, whether the days be dark or bright.

As far as Fine Gael is concerned, this by-election will be fought strongly but fairly. I will make two points. Given that 11 March is a Friday and given the extreme commuting difficulties faced by people in north Kildare and Meath, the Government should arrange to keep open the polling stations for the maximum time, from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., to allow for that. Apathy is the great difficulty in elections these days. It is difficult to make politics exciting in a time of economic prosperity. I hope that across the electorates of Meath and Kildare North, people will register their protest at the concerns flowing into our offices regarding how the Government has failed to deliver. From the Fine Gael perspective, I hope that Shane McEntee in Meath and Darren Scully in Kildare will register their protest votes against the Government on those issues, and in respect of the quality of the candidates.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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I was delighted to hear the Minister for Finance, Deputy Cowen, extol the virtues of my former colleague, the former Deputy McCreevy. I knew him well——

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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I still know him well.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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I did not say that. We worked very well together. I was delighted to note that even at this late stage the Government recognised his talents and paid tribute to them because when he was ushered out of this hallowed hall and into other places, there were no voices of support from the Government side of the House. I got along very well with him but intend to get along even better with the next Member to be elected in Kildare because I expect it will be a colleague of my own.

Noel Dempsey (Meath, Fianna Fail)
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The worst thing about having two parties in Opposition is that they cannot do anything.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Darren Scully, a young candidate running for election to the Dáil for the first time, has a great deal to offer and is a fine public speaker. Without any doubt he will be an excellent Dáil Deputy after the by-election.

The by-election will give Government Deputies an opportunity to visit County Kildare which is a microcosm of the country, in particular the east of the country. They will see the lack of adequate schools, hospital and health services, and policing in terms of the numbers of gardaí promised before the previous general election. They will see the failure to deliver. They will see the number of pre-fab schools, primary and secondary, throughout the constituency. It is disgraceful that in this much-vaunted economy, children exist in such primeval conditions. That is something from which the Government Deputies will learn. They will be able to examine our roads, another area given Government attention recently in terms of the billions it expects to spend on them. They will be able to see the roads and potholes and that every by-road in the place a disgrace.

Members of the Government will be very welcome in the constituency, since they will be able to see their own work at first hand. They will also be able to see the disgraceful housing situation, with 3,500 young families on the housing list, many of whom have been sitting there for the last seven years. They will be there for another seven years unless the electorate in Kildare decides otherwise, as I believe they will.

It will also give an opportunity to both Ministers and backbenchers on the Government side to come forward and see the commuter traffic passing through County Kildare, with people heading far into the country to where they must buy houses, travelling 50, 60 or 70 miles morning and evening to and from work. It will give a great opportunity to Government Deputies to see the effects of this decentralisation at first hand. They had not planned it, except by way of squeezing the young population out of their houses. It will give Ministers and backbenchers an opportunity to see the number of applications for medical cards and rent support that has been refused recently. Seriously ill people have sought rent support and been refused in this much-vaunted economy.

It will give Ministers, Ministers of State and backbenchers a chance to come to County Kildare and see the results of their handiwork. They will see at first hand that all is not as they present it. It will not be a time for spindoctors but for reality. Reality TV is about to come of age, and I have no doubt that Darren Scully will be victorious, something that I will do my utmost to ensure.

We should pay tribute to those other candidates in the race. There is no doubt that they are people of integrity, and that will be seen in the course of the election.

Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)
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I wish to share time with Deputy Stagg.

I welcome the last-minute conversion of the Government parties to the necessity of running these two by-elections now. I have no idea what all the fuss was about or why such bogus excuses were advanced for not running the elections. I heard the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources, Deputy Noel Dempsey, on radio today. He reminded me of the corncrake in that I could hear him clearly but did not know what side of the argument he was on.

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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The Deputy is a cuckoo.

Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)
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I am glad that they have now come around to our view. I join with the Minister for Finance, Deputy Cowen, in wishing former Deputy Charlie McCreevy well. I have no idea what he means when he says that Mr. McCreevy made such an impact that it is a shame he is gone. We did not send him anywhere; it was the Government that shafted him. If he were making such an impact, why did you send him to Europe? It is a complete mystery to the rest of us.

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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The Deputy's party is in permanent opposition.

Rory O'Hanlon (Cavan-Monaghan, Ceann Comhairle)
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Please allow Deputy Rabbitte without interruption.

Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)
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He was the best thing that ever happened to us on this side of the House.

Rory O'Hanlon (Cavan-Monaghan, Ceann Comhairle)
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If Deputy Rabbitte addressed his remarks through the Chair, he might not invite interruption.

Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)
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Why they wanted to exile him I do not know. The Minister for Finance, Deputy Cowen, says he is confident the Government benches will produce a victory in Kildare. To do that, the Minister will first have to produce a candidate. If he follows the pattern of the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources, Deputy Noel Dempsey, in Meath and gets the wrong candidate the first time, now that the election is under way, he will find great difficulty in changing horses——

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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We know what the Labour Party did with Deputy Michael Higgins. There was no candidate.

Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)
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——in time for polling day.

Noel Dempsey (Meath, Fianna Fail)
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At least I knew the names of our candidates.

Rory O'Hanlon (Cavan-Monaghan, Ceann Comhairle)
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Deputy Rabbitte without interruption.

Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)
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I welcome the opportunity to promote the credentials of our young candidate, Councillor Paddy McNamara, who was elected at the top of the poll in his area. He is a lecturer dedicated to public service. The only reason the Government parties did not make their minds up until this morning is that they did not want to confront the people, given their experience on the last occasion. It is entirely bogus to send Ministers and Ministers of State out to say they do not want the election because it would disrupt the business of the Dáil. The Taoiseach has just scampered off; he disrupts the business of the Dáil at will. If he had his way, he would close it down entirely. The number of days the Dáil sits was never fewer, and now we find that an extra week has been added to the Easter recess, for no reason that we have been told. There was no consultation between Whips on the issue. The Government simply went ahead and did it.

It is entirely spurious to say a by-election would disrupt the legislative programme of the Dáil. It would do nothing of the kind, and Ministers know that. The reason is that people want to talk to the Government about prices, hospitals, medical cards, child care and transport. It is all very well for the Minister for Finance, Deputy Cowen, to say the boom has created significant extra jobs, as it has for a dozen years. There are more people at work, but they cannot get there.

We get a fantasy package from the Minister of State at the Department of Transport, Deputy Callely, who claims we are to invest €10 billion. It reminds me of what happened at Ballymascanlon before the general election. The then Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Martin, announced a package of €7.7 billion for the health services. Not only did that never happen; the much-extolled Minister for Finance, former Deputy McCreevy, had written to the same Minister three weeks before to say that there was no question of any additional funding being made available. That letter was subsequently published in the national news media.

The last time I heard of Deputy Callely being busy was when he announced at Christmas that he had intervened with National Toll Roads to stop the 20% increase on the toll bridge. I came over it last night and paid the extra 20%. If Deputy Callely has the same success in delivering the upgrade and investment needed for transport to Kildare, I am afraid the outlook for the county's hard-pressed commuters is very bleak.

I will resume my seat in favour of my colleague, Deputy Stagg. The one thing the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Harney, has said that she is standing by is the Hanly report. I know there is collective amnesia on the Government benches about it, but the people of Kildare should know that if the Minister for Health and Children is standing by it and the Fianna Fáil Ministers are standing by her — I do not want to make that presumption — the accident and emergency department in Naas is gone. The people of Kildare should know that. I will return to the question.

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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We put it there. That is a disgrace.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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We did.

Rory O'Hanlon (Cavan-Monaghan, Ceann Comhairle)
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Deputy Durkan has already had his opportunity. Deputy Stagg has possession.

Emmet Stagg (Kildare North, Labour)
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The vacancy in Kildare North was created by my personal friend and political opposite, former Deputy McCreevy. He was a good friend of mine, and I wish him well in his banishment to Europe. Appreciation has been shown on the Government side for him, and it was a pity that it was not shown before he was shifted out, since he certainly did not want to go. That is well known there and everywhere else — it is certainly well known in Kildare.

For the information of the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Deputy Dermot Ahern, I have been canvassing with our candidate, who was selected without difficulty, since last November and not merely for the last few minutes. I welcome the Government's decision to accede to the demand of the Labour Party leader, Deputy Rabbitte, and others that the by-election be held in Kildare North without further delay. Given the disarray in Fianna Fáil ranks in the constituency, it is understandable that they were anxious to put off the day of reckoning for as long as possible.

The disarray to which I refer is well known. The two Fianna Fáil front runners refused to tog out and withdrew from the field of play altogether. Subsequent attempts by Fianna Fáil headquarters to impose a candidate of its choice was and is resisted by the other potential candidates in Fianna Fáil and to make matters worse for Fianna Fáil, the front-runner among the others lives, works and operates politically seven miles outside the Kildare North constituency. He is the likely successor.

The real reason Fianna Fáil sought to delay the by-election in Kildare North was that it was not ready, it had no candidate and it was in disarray. However, despite the disarray in Fianna Fáil ranks, the combined pressure from Labour and Fine Gael forced the Government, including Fianna Fáil, to cave in and agree to an early date for this election. This is a good day for democracy in general and especially for Kildare North. The electorate will now get the opportunity to pass judgment on the litany of failures and broken promises in my constituency of Kildare North.

The Labour Party did not have the same difficulty as Fianna Fáil in finding a candidate. In October last year, the Labour Party selected poll-topper Councillor Paddy McNamara as its standard bearer to contest the Kildare North by-election. Paddy is a young married professional who has been togged out and campaigning since then. He has identified five major issues that are of serious concern to the citizens of north Kildare, problems arising from false promises and under-provision — they are transport, education, child care, housing and health.

In each of these vital areas of policy and service provision, the Government has failed to deliver or keep its promises. Trains are packed to danger point. New tracks and carriages have not materialised as promised. Pregnant women can no longer travel on trains because of the crush. Promised buses have not been purchased. An extra 15 buses were intended for north Kildare under the Government's plan and they have not been delivered. They would make a huge difference to the morning queues in Celbridge, Maynooth, Leixlip and Naas. The M50 is a modern instrument of torture or very expensive parking lot and all we get are promises of more of the same or worse, as the Taoiseach told us.

Paddy McNamara found our education system to be in a state of crisis. There are prefabs at every school in north Kildare, both secondary and primary, but some schools cannot get funding for prefabs from the Government. In Sallins, for example, 50 pupils who were otherwise eligible to do so could not be admitted to primary school this year. In one school in Naas, the entrance age is six years because there is no room to take the pupils. All we have got are houses from massive zoning, mainly by the Fianna Fáil councillors at Kildare County Council level, without the required infrastructure being put in place. Child care and health were two other issues mentioned by my colleague.

Our candidate, Paddy McNamara, is togged out and ready for action. I now invite Fianna Fáil to find its best man or woman and give him or her a jersey. We should have no more delays. The referee's whistle has been blown and I am confident that at the end of the game, our man, with the co-operation and assistance of the other parties in opposition, will take the seat in Kildare North.

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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What about Deputy Durkan?

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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We will wait to see what the Members opposite have to say.

Trevor Sargent (Dublin North, Green Party)
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I wish to share time with Deputies Ó Caoláin and Finian McGrath.

Rory O'Hanlon (Cavan-Monaghan, Ceann Comhairle)
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That is agreed.

Trevor Sargent (Dublin North, Green Party)
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It is a good day for democracy that the parties in a position to move the writ do so today. I welcome the opportunity to put on the record the good wishes of the Green Party for the former incumbents, Charlie McCreevy in Kildare North and John Bruton in Meath. I have no doubt they will be missed in many ways but the people of Kildare North and Meath now have an opportunity to review their situation and look to the future. The Green Party will contest those by-elections with that sentiment in mind.

A by-election is often seen as a barometer of the Government's performance. I have no doubt that will be the case on this occasion and to that extent the Government has good reason not to want these by-elections and try to postpone them for as long as possible. It has been flushed out, however, and we now have a date of 11 March. Given that the Government is squandering a great deal of taxpayers' money on projects that do not give any benefit and widen the gap between rich and poor, as well as increasing the debt on future generations from the point of view of energy and environmental degradation, these by-elections will be a serious acid test for the Government.

A by-election is an opportunity to make a real difference and in the case of our party, which has six TDs, an additional representative, or ideally two, would bring us up to the level where we would be recognised as a group. The dynamics in the Dáil would clearly change in that regard. That is serious motivation from our point of view to have a successful outing at these by-elections.

Our candidate, Councillor J.J. Power, representing Naas and County Kildare in general, is somebody whom I look forward to working with, as I have done in Kildare North. Apart from being a family man and an elected councillor, he is someone who is very highly regarded by the people of Kildare. Fianna Fáil will know him well, given that he has a long family tradition in politics, but the Green Party is his chosen party and I know he will highlight the problems which are all too familiar to many people in terms of communities in the area not having proper school, health or public transport facilities.

Driving from Kildare to Dublin I am aware of the congestion at any time of the day, never mind peak hours, but I also know that opportunities exist to put forward solutions, and many of the Green Party solutions are to do with proper planning, investment in public transport, the provision of local facilities, primary health care and facilities for children. The provision of child care and playground facilities will be warmly welcomed and viewed as a resolution of the problems. I wish Councillor Power well and, on behalf of the Green Party, I hope the by-election will be an opportunity to address all the issues that need to be discussed and that it will be free of the type of in-fighting that sometimes bedevils by-elections.

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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I welcome the moving of the writ by the Government in respect of the Kildare by-election. It has been awaited for far too long. The seat should not have been left vacant since last autumn, which is effectively what has taken place. The shenanigans — there is no other word that can best describe what we have seen over the moving of these writs — show the dire need for reform of electoral legislation. What is appropriate in this instance is that by-elections should be called within a specified period of the vacancies occurring, and that should be enshrined in legislation. It is the responsibility of the party or the Independent group of the departing Deputy in whatever circumstances, but it should be done within a specified period. The idea that this can go on for a protracted period is simply insulting to the electorate and disenfranchises the specific constituency by rendering it less represented here over a protracted period of time.

I ask members of Government and those who will form Government in the future to seriously examine this issue as an aspect of electoral reform and ensure that a specified period is laid down in law. These seats are not the property of the parties or the individuals, they are the property of the electorate in the respective constituencies, and what happened here is simply unacceptable.

If we were to examine the comparison with local government, there can be no doubt in our minds that if a vacancy occurred at local authority level, there would be no such delay. The co-option process, now catered to in local government legislation, would have been employed, enacted and concluded a long time ago.

Regarding the Kildare by-election, it is unlikely at this point that our party will contest it. All candidates going forward are taking up an important role and responsibility. Whatever the outcome, I hope the victor will make an important, useful and appreciated contribution in this House.

Finian McGrath (Dublin North Central, Independent)
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I thank the Ceann Comhairle for the opportunity to contribute to the debate on the motion. This is an important by-election and a further development of our democratic process. It also shows the urgent need to change Irish society. It will provide an opportunity to support and highlight the case of independent candidates and their important role.

In this by-election an independent councillor, Catherine Murphy, from Leixlip is standing on her own against the major political parties. She has a great chance of causing a major upset and adding to the number of Independent Deputies in the Dáil. She has been a full-time public representative for many years, working on behalf of the people of Kildare North. She will be contesting the by-election as an independent candidate. Based on her record of public service and commitment to the issues that matter to the community, she is best placed to provide an effective voice for the people of Kildare North in the Dáil. Her track record speaks for itself: she has been a Kildare county councillor since 1991 and a Leixlip town councillor since 1988. She is chairperson of the Kildare Community Network and a member of Kildare County Development Board. She is also a board member of the County Kildare Centres for the Unemployed.

Councillor Murphy's priorities in the forthcoming by-election are: planning for community need, not private greed, resulting in the building of strong and healthy communities with sports, leisure, education, medical and social facilities; frequent and efficient rail and bus services and expanded taxi services; supporting campaigns for affordable housing and child care; the provision of Garda resources to meet the needs of Kildare North's rapidly growing population; and an increase in Government funding to match the growth in the constituency.

The by-election is an opportunity for us to show that there are credible independent candidates who are prepared to run. Many Independent Deputies will wish Councillor Murphy well, particularly as she is up against the odds. However, she is an excellent candidate and could prove to be an effective member of this group. If successful, she will bring our numbers in the Dáil up to ten. Members of the public see Independent Deputies as the credible alternative to party political neglect. They see that such Deputies are answerable only to the people, not political parties or vested interests.

Independent Deputies represent a highly credible percentage of the total numbers in Dáil Éireann. We contribute to all debates in the Dáil, are community based and believe in straight-talking politics, not wasting public money on spin. Independent Deputies have also shown that they can work together, that they can accommodate differences and diversity and that they will always put the people and the country first. Most of us came up the hard way; we never demanded respect, we have always earned it and stuck with the poorer sections of society. That is why I welcome this opportunity to endorse and support Councillor Catherine Murphy.