Niall Ó Donnghaile (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I apologise - the other House - this Oireachtas, I should say. That is no mean feat. He could end up here yet; one never knows. I wish him and his family well. It is an important time for them. Deputy Varadkar will be elected as the new Taoiseach tomorrow and I too wish him well. I hope his term of office will be notable for a more direct and hands-on involvement in the North, bringing the authority of the office of Taoiseach to bear on the overall direction of Irish politics.

I hope it is not an indication of what is to come but I am somewhat disappointed that the incoming Taoiseach took the time to contact Arlene Foster on the DUP's recent electoral success but failed to do likewise with any of the other parties in the North. The other highly significant event that I referred to earlier is of course the electoral results in the North. For Sinn Féin, this is the biggest vote for nationalists since partition and is the first time across the North that more votes were cast for non-unionist parties. The DUP also had a good election. Given this political context in which we now find ourselves as a result of the election and the impending threat posed by Brexit, it is critical that the new Taoiseach implements the long-standing promise that MPs from the North would, as of right, have speaking rights in this Oireachtas. I am glad to say-----