Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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I move:

That, pursuant to section 39 of the Electoral Act 1992 and owing to the vacancy in the office of the Clerk of the Dáil, the Ceann Comhairle direct the Clerk-Assistant 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 Patrick Nulty, a Member for the constituency of Dublin West.

This Government reformed the Electoral Act 2011 by providing that a by-election must take place within six months of a vacancy arising. In the circumstances, it is appropriate that these by-elections should take place on the same date as the European Parliament and the local elections on 23 May and that we provide the earliest possible opportunity for the people of both constituencies to have their full representation in the Dáil. I am also very conscious of the fact that the debate in the local elections will essentially be about the people who will represent communities on their local councils, doing the important work of making decisions in regard to planning, the delivery of local services and the development of local communities. That is a very important decision which people will have to make.

Similarly, the decision in regard to the European Parliament elections will be about the representatives this country will have in the European Parliament for the next five years and the future direction of Europe. Indeed, on this occasion, because of the changes in the Lisbon treaty, the European Parliament will have a role in the election of the President of the European Commission, for which all of the major European political groupings have nominated candidates.

Inevitably in the course of the by-elections, debate will centre on the performance of Government and where the country is. As far as the Labour Party is concerned, we intend to approach these elections in a very vigorous way by pointing out that no matter which way one looks at it, this country is in a better place today than it was three years ago when we took on the responsibility of Government. Three years ago, this country was bankrupt, the banks were broke, nobody would lend money to the country, our reputation was in tatters, unemployment was heading towards 0.5 million, many people were worried about whether the State could continue to afford to pay pensions and deliver services and, in many cases, those who had savings were taking them across the Border to put them in banks in Northern Ireland because they were afraid of what would happen to them.

Three years later, we are out of the bailout and jobs are being created. There are 70,000 more people at work today than when this Government took office three years ago.

There are 2,700 more classrooms today than there were three years ago when the Government took office. We are beginning to see the economy and our fortunes recover again. It is not all done because the scale, depth and nature of the crisis we inherited three years ago were so bad that it takes time to work our way through it, but at least today we are in a position where people can, for the first time since the start of the recession, see that there is an end, a prospect of improvement and a future in this country for their children. There is a future here too for the many who had to emigrate during the recession and will now see a prospect of returning again.

Essentially, the choice people have to face is whether they should hand the keys of the car back to the party that crashed it in the first place or whether they should hand the keys of the car to parties and political forces that do not know how to drive in the first place.

Peter Mathews (Dublin South, Independent)
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That is like Solomon's choice.

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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The Labour Party will make its case vigorously during the course of the two by-elections.

Seán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Ceann Comhairle)
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I now call on the Government Chief Whip who should not move the motion for the second by-election because we must formally deal with the first one.

Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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I use the opportunity to speak about our late friend and colleague, Nicky McFadden. Nicky was a friend and valued colleague not only of mine but also of many Members of the House across the political divide. I know that many in my party, including the Taoiseach, were devastated by her death in March. To all of us in Fine Gael who knew her, she was a wonderful woman, devoted to her children and her wider family and dedicated to working on behalf of the people of Longford-Westmeath whom she represented as a councillor, Senator and Deputy. She was a committed member of the Fine Gael Party. She brought a joy to life that lit up all around her, even in the last difficult months of her illness. She was not a person to allow political differences to prevent her from making new friends. She saw the person first and his or her politics second, which is not always an easy thing for some of us to do. She was popular among the people of Longford and Westmeath who knew her. They held her in very high regard as a public representative. She left her politics aside and fought vigorously for the interests of people in her constituency.

The Government has decided to move the writs to allow the people of Dublin West and Longford-Westmeath to be fully represented again in the Dáil. With local and European elections planned for 23 May, it would be unacceptable to delay the by-elections and deny the people of these constituencies the opportunity to vote and give them full Dáil representation. Governments in the recent past may have feared the people for whom they worked and attempted to avoid by-elections, but we do not. It is far better to hold by-elections as soon as possible. The campaign by my party and no doubt every other party in both constituencies will be headed by excellent candidates. I wish candidates the best of luck and look forward to successful campaigns and meeting the winners in both constituencies in the House soon after 23 May.

Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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I recognise that the writs are being moved in very difficult circumstances and my party does not oppose their being moved. We are very conscious that it is only a number of weeks since the death of Deputy Nicky McFadden who, as the Tánaiste and Chief Whip have indicated, was a highly regarded Member of the House. Members on all sides extend their sympathy to her family who are feeling her loss at this time.

It is also appropriate that we would extend our sympathy to the family of former Deputy Patrick Nulty on the loss of his father and recognise that his family, too, has gone through a particular trauma in recent times.

The by-elections will be held on the same day as the local and European elections. The campaigns have already started and will intensify in the weeks ahead. The by-elections will give people a chance to focus on the policies that are necessary to reinvigorate and help to develop the two constituencies involved. Fianna Fáil hopes there will be a positive and constructive approach to the debate in the course of the election campaigns. We will come forward with concrete and constructive proposals on what we can do to tackle the big issues facing people in Longford-Westmeath and Dublin West. We are aware that people in constituencies such as these face similar problems. Our candidates - Aengus O'Rourke in Longford-Westmeath and David McGuinness in Dublin West - will put proper alternatives before the people that they can take seriously. On the issues of mortgage arrears, personal debt, access to services and crime we will set out what we believe are credible alternatives to the direction taken by the Government.

Fine Gael and the Labour Party enjoy the largest majority in the history of the State. I do not believe they need more backbenchers to add to their dominance, but that is up to the people of both constituencies to decide. They must decide whether they want the parties in government which have the greatest majority in the history of the State to have an even greater majority than is the case. Fianna Fáil has selected Aengus O'Rourke and David McGuinness as its candidates as we believe they will provide a strong, challenging and constructive voice in Dáil Éireann.

We will use the by-election and local election campaigns to highlight the broken promises of the Government parties which are now three years in office. While unemployment has been stabilising nationwide in recent months, there is still a significant problem as the national rate is at 11.8%. There is no room for complacency. The unemployment rate is higher in towns such as Mullingar, Athlone and Longford. One of the biggest challenges across both constituencies is presented by youth unemployment and, unfortunately, the continuing problem of long-term unemployment. It was recently revealed that 178,000 people were registered as being unemployed for more than one year. Promises have been broken by the Government and, unfortunately, even the promises have been dismissed as election gimmicks. The comments of the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, Deputy Pat Rabbitte, on "The Week in Politics" are indelibly marked on people's minds that what one does during elections is make promises. Unfortunately, having made them, they were subsequently broken on university fees, child benefit and water charges.

At this difficult time for the country we need people in the Dáil who can make a real contribution to overcoming the crisis that continues to confront us. Aengus O'Rourke is a businessman who has hands-on experience of the challenges facing the SME sector. He works constantly as a community activist to address the needs of his community. He also understands the challenges young families face. David McGuinness, a teacher in Dublin West, has a young family. He is a sitting councillor and has distinguished himself in that respect. He performed creditably in the previous election in the constituency. Both candidates believe the property tax should not be doubled and that the income from it should be reinvested in the communities they represent, as the Government originally promised.

The Tánaiste referred to the State of the country when the Government took office. It proceeded to implement the four year plan that was in place when it took office. It is largely because of the implementation of the plan that we are seeing a recovery. However, we are seeing a two-tier recovery which derives from the fact that there is skewed implementation of the plan by the Government.

Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Sinn Fein)
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I too pay tribute to the late Nicky McFadden. She was a hugely popular Deputy, both in Leinster House and her constituency. She battled tirelessly for her local community. When she faced adversity, she inspired many, both in the House and her home. On behalf of my party, I offer sympathy to her family.

The Tánaiste referenced the state of the economy but he got his figures wrong yet again. The number of jobs in the State increased by 70,000 over the past year but the net increase in jobs since the Government took office has been 30,000, given 250,000 people have emigrated. This demonstrates a minuscule response to a colossal problem. The Library and Research Service conducted an interesting investigation. It examined the plethora of activation schemes, many of which are hokey, that have been devised by the Government. According to the service, 3% of the working age population is on activation schemes, which is higher than the net increase in jobs. The real unemployment rate after three years of the Fine Gael and Labour Party Government is 22.7% when the number of emigrants, the number unemployed and the number of people on activation schemes without jobs are added together.

The long-term unemployment figures are stubbornly high while the number of young people in the State has shrunk because of the emigration rate. There has also been an onslaught of family taxes. I am canvassing door-to-door like many Members and I have met people who have to make a decision on whether to send one child to a doctor or one child to a dentist or whether they should go without a meal in order that their child can have a meal or whether they should go the local petrol station with a 5 gallon drum because they cannot fill the tank of the car. The people who face these purchasing choices have been landed with more than €500 in taxes annually. This includes the property tax, water charges and cuts in child benefit. The provision of a universal health insurance tax in the future will only add to that.

The ESRI analysed the Government's budgets. The institute said they were regressive and have affected low and middle income earners much more than higher earners. The three-year scorecard for the Government is simple to write. We are still in a state of jobs inertia and the burden of adjustment has been put on the shoulders of those who can least afford it.

The provision of services is a key component of government activity. The Government almost pays as much in interest on the national debt as it does on the education system. Budgets in a number of areas in the education system have been slashed. The Government then talks about a smart economy when it is not providing appropriate funding for education. A total of €4 billion and 12,500 staff have been taken out of health services, which resulted in 57 people lying on trolleys on one day in the hospital in Drogheda, ongoing increased pressure on Dublin hospitals and the closure of accident and emergency departments in Nenagh and Navan hospitals. This is the result of the actions and votes of a Fine Gael-Labour Party Government.

The alternative to this is an economy based on progressive policies such as those in Sweden and Denmark where taxes are paid but services are also provided. Such an economy is wealthy but it is also competitive. That is the type of economy we in Sinn Féin want to see. That is why we ask people when considering the candidates in the by-elections to vote for Paul Donnelly in Dublin West, a neighbouring constituency of mine. He has been to the fore in the hospital campaign in the constituency. He has also been to the fore on the Blanchardstown local drugs task force and Blakestown-Mountview Neighbourhood Youth Project and he has been to the fore in fighting austerity.

Paul Hogan will stand for our party in Longford-Westmeath, another constituency abutting mine. I have known him for years. He is one of the most experienced candidates in that by-election. He has been mayor and deputy mayor of Athlone a number of times and he has worked with determination to give a progressive voice to an area that was traditionally a Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil stronghold. People have a clear option. They can vote for the people who brought them to the disaster or those who have kept them in the disaster or they can vote for an alternative that has a basis in Nordic countries, which works significantly well. They will help our team to progress the economic policies that we have been developing over the past number of years, which have gained enormous traction with the electorate, as we can see in the opinion polls.

Joe Higgins (Dublin West, Socialist Party)
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I support the moving of the writ for the Dublin West by-election and while regretting the unacceptable events that led to it, with a sense of humanity and compassion we should extend deep sympathy to the Nulty family who have suffered enormous loss due to the recent sudden and shocking death of Mr. Paddy Nulty.

The people of Dublin West are in a position to deal a massive blow to the destructive austerity agenda of Fine Gael and the Labour Party. We will hear much Government spin about recovery. There is a recovery only for the very rich and big corporate profits. For ordinary people, there is a cost of living crisis with unsustainable mortgages, mortgage arrears and exorbitant rack rents, which increase inexorably and are plunging unprecedented numbers of families into homelessness. Working people, pensioners and the unemployed are on a treadmill while austerity taxes devastate their incomes and their wages are under attack. The water tax on top of the property tax and the rest is a tipping point. People can take no more.

The people of Dublin West can strike a powerful blow to all this, especially to the water tax, by savaging Fine Gael and annihilating the Labour Party vote because that party has particularly disappointed with its betrayals. Councillor Ruth Coppinger is the candidate for the Stop the Water Tax - Socialist Party with the enthusiastic endorsement of the Anti-Austerity Alliance, a new force of men and women running 40 candidates in the local elections. The people of Dublin West and Ireland should make all the elections on 23 May a crushing referendum against the water tax and against the cost of living squeeze by voting for outstanding fighters, including Councillor Ruth Coppinger in Dublin West, Paul Murphy MEP in the Dublin European Parliament election, the Anti-Austerity Alliance candidates around the country and other genuine organisations and individuals.

Councillor Coppinger has been fighting for the interests of the people of Dublin West for the past 20 years while Fianna Fáil and other candidates now posturing as an members of the Opposition were stoking the property bubble and the philosophy that led to the speculation and profiteering that resulted in a huge cost to society and enormous suffering for so many families. We will go forward from these elections to build a powerful campaign of people power against the water tax and other austerity taxes and in favour of a democratic and socialist alternative for our people.

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Independent)
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I add to my voice to those who praised the late Deputy, Nicky McFadden. It was my great honour to get to know her, however briefly. She was an extraordinary person and I would like to extend my sympathy to her family and to the family of Patrick Nulty on the passing of his father.

It is regrettable that the Government has taken until the last possible day to announce these by-elections. It is no coincidence that it has left as little time as possible for opposition candidates to mount election campaigns. The Government is beginning this campaign with cynical, old school, negative politics reminiscent of governments past. Despite this, I am delighted that Mr. David Hall will run as an independent candidate in the upcoming by-election. He has a proven track record in fighting for the people. He co-founded the Irish Mortgage Holders Organisation and he helps families every day to find solutions to unsustainable debt. He and his colleagues have more than 1,000 cases ready to go to the Insolvency Service of Ireland.

We hear much of the need for entrepreneurs. David is one such entrepreneur. The company he founded employs 72 people full time. He knows what is required to create jobs and he was involved in setting up the first ever children's ambulance service in Europe. When the previous Government created an IOU for Anglo Irish Bank amounting to €31 billion, David Hall took a case to the High Court to try to stop those payments. He is involved with several worthy charities and he set up the Make-A-Wish Foundation many years ago.

David grew up in Blanchardstown and lives in Castleknock with his wife and two children. As an independent Deputy, David Hall would have the freedom to continue to fight for the people of Ireland and Dublin West. He has fought very well from outside the system and has effected much important change. I, he and many others believe he could achieve much more good and benefit for the Irish people and the people of Dublin West as a Deputy. David Hall would be a superb representative for the people of Dublin West. He would make a superb Deputy. I hope the people of Dublin West recognise everything he has done and what he is capable of doing for them and give him their vote on 23 May.