Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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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 death of Deputy Shane McEntee, a member for the constituency of Meath East.

He did not confine his work to the field of agriculture and food. He was also, of course, a very strong champion for those homeowners affected by the pyrite issue and shortly before he died he succeeded in having these homes exempted from the local property tax. Nowhere was his incredible commitment and passion more obvious than on this issue. It is my sincere hope that his successor will carry on this Trojan work for the people of Meath East and beyond, and will always work honourably and with that same sincerity. Shane's genuine compassion, combined with his interest in and concern for people and their lives allowed him to excel in his role as a public representative. He was both admired and respected, but above all else was trusted.

The decision to move the writ today fulfils the Government's standing commitment not to leave seats in this House vacant for periods of longer than six months. We can all agree that Shane McEntee's absence is still deeply felt in the House, both in his Fine Gael family and outside it. However, he left a rare and wonderful legacy. The forthcoming by-election will give the people of Meath East the opportunity to select someone to continue the work started by Shane McEntee and to build on his great legacy.

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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I begin by paying tribute to the late Shane McEntee, who served the constituency of Meath East with great commitment and loyalty. His tragic and early departure is a great loss to the people of Meath East, to the Government and to this House, as well as a profound personal loss for his family. As a democrat and believer in free speech, I believe that robust and open debate is not only part of politics, but is an essential prerequisite for it. However, the sad circumstances that have given rise to this by-election place an onus on each of us in this House and outside it to conduct that debate in a way that is respectful, fair and decent. I therefore call on every citizen, activist and representative to observe the politics of decency in this by-election campaign.

In considering the candidate to replace him, the people of Meath East will have a clear choice. They can vote for a candidate from the Opposition benches - a candidate from the party which caused Ireland's economic mess and which is now seeking to do its best to scurry away from it-----

Timmy Dooley (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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The Tánaiste has not even followed through on his own initial statement. That is disrespectful.

Seán Fleming (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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The Tánaiste should have some respect for the man.

Seán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Ceann Comhairle)
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Order, please.

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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----- or they can vote for a candidate from a party-----

Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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That told lies before the last general election.

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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-----which puts forward practical solutions to the problems the people face.

I support the proposal before the House to hold the by-election, which is in line with the commitment the Government gave and for which we brought proposals to this House that by-elections should be held within a reasonable period of time of the vacancy occurring. This is now an opportunity for the people of Meath East to consider a replacement for Shane McEntee, who served the people of his county so well. I hope the debate on the by-election will be conducted on the basis of the policies being put forward by the respective candidates and the solutions - if any - that they offer for the problems faced by the people of the country, in particular the problems faced by the people of the constituency of Meath East. I look forward to that campaign and to engaging with Members of this House in that debate.

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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I recognise that the Government's announcement to move the writ for the Meath East by-election is against the very sad background of the passing of our former colleague, Shane McEntee. In many ways it is the worst possible set of circumstances for any party or individual to be entering into a by-election. Without question Shane McEntee was a very dedicated and committed politician who worked extremely hard on behalf of his community. He was a very experienced and able representative both as a Deputy and as a Minister of State.

I welcome the moving of the writ for the by-election. I assure the House that the Fianna Fáil Party will be positive.

We look forward to a constructive debate on the future the Meath East constituency, its people and the country generally. We will put forward concrete, constructive ideas and proposals on what we can do to tackle the major issues facing the people in Meath East.

Fianna Fáil has selected Senator Thomas Byrne as its candidate. He will be a strong, challenging and constructive voice in Dáil Éireann on behalf of the people of Meath East. Senator Byrne is working constantly to address the needs of the Meath communities and understands that serving local needs is not a duty of office but a great privilege and honour. Being a young family man, he also understands the challenges facing families. He has real ability and makes a real impact on the national stage.

In terms of legislative input Senator Byrne brought forward Bills in the Seanad such as the family home Bill and debt settlement and mortgage resolution office Bill, which sought to assist those in mortgage arrears, but have not, unfortunately, been taken on board. However, they illustrate Senator Byrne's constructive approach to politics. He has demonstrated that he is a constructive and effective legislator. It is in this context we have confidence and faith in putting him forward as a candidate.

Senator Byrne has spoken at length on the unfair property tax being promoted by this Government and has articulated alternatives to it.

Ray Butler (Meath West, Fine Gael)
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Lord help us.

Lucinda Creighton (Dublin South East, Fine Gael)
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Thanks for that.

Seán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Ceann Comhairle)
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Deputies, please.

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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Senator Byrne is an excellent candidate-----

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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I did not interrupt other speakers.

Seán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Ceann Comhairle)
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Deputies, please.

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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He will be a welcome voice in Dáil Éireann in terms of common sense policy. I agree with the Tánaiste that the campaign will be on a whole range of issues. We will be reminding people of the many broken promises on the part of the Government.

Mattie McGrath (Tipperary South, Independent)
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Shattered.

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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For example, the promise made by the Minister, Deputy Quinn, on the steps of Trinity College that he would reduce student fees.

Ray Butler (Meath West, Fine Gael)
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They will remember Deputy Martin too.

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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They will remember the promises made by the former Minister, Noel Dempsey.

Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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What about Navan hospital, Minister?

Seán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Ceann Comhairle)
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Order please.

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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People will also remember the clear and sincere commitment made by the Tánaiste that if people voted for the Labour Party child benefit would not be cut. Many other promises were made and deliberately broken by this Government.

We believe that mortgage arrears, personal debt, access to services and youth unemployment are significant issues.

Lucinda Creighton (Dublin South East, Fine Gael)
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Fianna Fáil would know all about that.

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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The number of people in Meath on the live register has increased by 2.5%. Youth unemployment is a huge challenge in the commuter belt areas, including Kells, Dunboyne, Ratoath, Dunshaughlin, Ashbourne, Duleek and Slane.

Arthur Spring (Kerry North-West Limerick, Labour)
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Tell us about the rest of the legacy.

Seán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Ceann Comhairle)
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Quiet, please.

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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Crime is also a significant issue. It is the cause of much anxiety and fear for people across the constituency of Meath East and countrywide.

Lucinda Creighton (Dublin South East, Fine Gael)
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Fianna Fáil should put that information on its leaflets.

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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Burglaries have risen by 28.3%. The response to this thus far by Government has been to close Garda stations and to contribute to the lowest morale ever witnessed in the Garda Síochána.

Robert Dowds (Dublin Mid West, Labour)
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Zero tolerance.

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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The Tánaiste spoke about choice. This Government has an unprecedented and overwhelming majority. We have seen as late as today how it has abused that majority in terms of ramming through important legislation without any opportunity for debate. It has not taken the opportunity of its significant majority to change radically the manner in which politics in this country is done or how Parliament is constructed and operated, which it, and every other party, promised they would do during the election campaign.

Only three of the 88 amendments tabled to the property tax Bill before Christmas were dealt with. Only two and a half hours are provided for the Committee Stage debate this evening. There will be no opportunity to table further amendments or discuss those tabled. The legislation is being rammed through so that the Revenue Commissioners can issue their letters next Monday and Tuesday. That is how insignificant and irrelevant the Government believes Parliament is now. The Government does not need an addition to its overwhelming majority, which it is abusing daily.

Arthur Spring (Kerry North-West Limerick, Labour)
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We will give the Deputy a fool's pardon.

Derek Keating (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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It is only two years since Fianna Fáil left all those problems behind.

Seán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Ceann Comhairle)
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Settle down, please. I have called Deputy Adams. Please allow him to speak without interruption.

Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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I welcome the setting of 27 March for the Meath East by-election. I am mindful of the McEntee family who are still grieving and in mourning. I pay tribute to the work and life of the late Shane McEntee. Aontaím leis an méid a dúirt an Taoiseach faoi Shane. Ba Theachta Dála iontach é, fear macánta, cairdiúil. Everybody here wishes we were not having this by-election in the circumstances requiring it to be held.

Sinn Féin's candidate is Darren O'Rourke, the only candidate who stands outside the consensus for austerity, which is the consensus of Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and the Labour Party. Despite the tragic circumstances surrounding this by-election, it will provide an opportunity for people to give their verdict on this Government and, more importantly, to vote positively for the type of policies they thought the parties in government would introduce when elected. People voted for change in 2011 and in this regard voted out the previous parties in Government, having believed the promises made by the current parties in Government, which promises were torn up very quickly.

The Meath East constituency is a convergence of all that happened in terms of the many families who moved from the capital to the commuter areas, purchased expensive homes and are now in mortgage distress, some of them living in areas wherein there is no proper infrastructure. It is my hope that citizens take this opportunity to vote positively in this election and for Sinn Féin by voting for Darren O'Rourke.

Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Independent)
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I welcome the moving of the writ for the Meath East by-election. We have seen the last of the protracted delays that were a feature of the past in terms of the holding of by-elections, which is a product of the court ruling in the case taken by Deputy Pearse Doherty.

With the late Shane McEntee, I was elected in a previous by-election in March 2005, a day which held fond memories for us both and in respect of which we often exchanged experiences. While by-elections focus on what candidate might or might not get elected, they are also dominated by issues that may otherwise not come to the fore. There were great similarities in the by-elections held in 2005 in that both were in commuter belt areas. The neglect of rapidly developing areas, together with the challenges of a disproportionately young population were prominent. The lack of affordable and available child care, time spent by people commuting to and from work and the lack of infrastructure and support services for new communities all dominated. That was the agenda set by the people of Meath East and was the one to which the late Shane McEntee and I worked. It is very much an unfinished agenda.

By-elections differ greatly from general elections in which people first and foremost concentrate on electing a Government. People are afforded a lot more freedom in a by-election. It is often much more difficult to call a result because of the emotional content. For example, the sad and untimely death of Shane McEntee may play a part in this by-election. It goes without saying that nobody in this House welcomes a by-election in these circumstances. The 2005 by-elections were in respect of replacement of former Deputies Charlie McCreevy and John Bruton. We are in different times now, experiencing different emotions. It is certain different emotions will come to the fore on this occasion. For example, issues such as the stress being experienced by individuals and families owing to job losses and sufficient incomes to pay mortgages and other bills will undoubtedly feature and prompt a response in the polls.

Commuter belt areas tend to be poorer in terms of service delivery. For example, Meath boasts one of the poorest ratios of Garda per head of population, with Kildare having the lowest ratio in this regard.

The local government staff level is the lowest nationally, which produces a lower and weaker level of service. Front-line services delivered by the HSE are often disproportionately worse. It is difficult to see how the Croke Park agreement will not influence those who deliver the services and those who struggle to acquire them. These services will be part of the by-election agenda. There is also an irony about today, when debate has been limited and a guillotine is being placed on the Finance (Local Property Tax) (Amendment) Bill to allow the Revenue Commissioners deliver yet another financial burden on households in Meath East and elsewhere. These bills are likely to drop through the letterbox together with election material from the various candidates.

Mattie McGrath (Tipperary South, Independent)
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They will hold them back.

Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Independent)
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It is hard to see how this will not feature as a major issue, particularly in households which are up to their tonsils in debt and, because of recent large-scale development in Meath East, may have forked out huge sums in stamp duty which will not form part of the expected exemptions. The by-election will be seen as an opportunity to make a statement on the performance of the Government, as by-elections always are. This by-election will be about a clash of emotions, between the undoubted fondness and respect for the McEntee family on one side, and on the other, the anger, regret and hopelessness felt by so many about the direction the Government has taken. I wish all candidates well, but at the end of the day the people of Meath East are sovereign and they will decide on the replacement for Shane McEntee in the House.