Niall Blaney (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Cathaoirleach for his kind words earlier in reference to my late father and his many visits to the wee thatched cottage in Rosnakill, County Donegal. Our family goes back a century or thereabouts, which is a fair length of time. I am sure the Cathaoirleach will serve his position extremely well and proudly. It is a humbling day for him and a proud day for his father and brother, who are here to witness it. I acknowledge my two colleagues who contested our party election for the nomination to the role of Cathaoirleach. The dignity with which with all three candidates conducted themselves in that election and accepted the result says a lot about our party and how things augur for the term ahead.

I had not envisaged making a maiden speech today but here I am. I would like to dedicate my comments to my former director of elections, Councillor Dessie Larkin, who is no longer with us, and to former Senator, Jimmy Harte, who was a colleague of mine when we were first elected together to Donegal County Council. Jimmy had an accident in 2013, while he was a Member of this House, but I am glad to hear that he is doing very well and is hale and hearty.

I have listened carefully on this, my first day in the Seanad, to all that has been said by my colleagues. Over the weekend, I saw references in the media to something that several speakers referenced today, namely, that the west of Ireland is lacking representation at Government level. As someone who has been in politics for a while, although still a young man, I would say that sometimes one needs to take a deep breath and wait. In regard to the Government proposals that are coming forward on ministerial positions, it is true to say that we are just halfway through the process. I am confident that the western seaboard, particularly from Donegal to Limerick, will be well represented when all is said and done.

I listened to colleagues talk about there not being Northern voices at the table here in the Seanad. I acknowledge that but, for me, as a republican and a northern voice here - some would refer to where I live as being north of the North - a very pleasing aspect of the programme for Government is the approach it takes in regard to Northern Ireland. For years, I and many other politicians battled to get recognition for Northern Ireland.For too many years, national development plans from North and South have ignored each other to the extent that health services, infrastructure and many Departments have failed because there has not been a joined-up approach. This is the first time a Government is aiming to move forward with a joint or shared approach. While we may not have the voices in Seanad Éireann this term, all voices and representatives, North and South, are going to have an opportunity to speak. A new unit is to be set up in the Taoiseach's office which will have a joint departmental approach both North and South to building our infrastructure, community and island - a shared island.

Like any republican, I have an aspiration of a shared future together. I am not necessarily comfortable with the term "united Ireland" because I do not think it is respectful of all traditions within the island under the auspices of the Good Friday Agreement. The Good Friday Agreement has taken a backward step since the Assembly at Stormont collapsed. That damaged the Good Friday Agreement but the steps in the programme for Government are an opportunity for all voices and representatives north and south of the Border to approach this island on a shared basis and ensure all Departments match up in order that all our people and traditions North and South are looked after. I am not a republican who classes himself as such by wrapping myself in a flag. I am the type of republican that republicans are meant to be, that is, someone with the point of view that there should be a shared approach - an all-island approach - and that there should be a voice for everybody at the table. This approach, with the new unit in the Taoiseach's office, allows for that and I hope this House embraces it. I look forward with optimism to what comes off that because I no longer want to see those national development plans that were created in the past with a blank for the Six Counties in Northern Ireland. We lost out heavily in Donegal as a result of those plans because, geographically, we are so attached to Northern Ireland. We are not totally cut off from the South but our geography leaves us quite cut off and those national development plans never recognised Northern Ireland. The N2-A5 project is one example which is thankfully addressed in the programme for Government. I look forward to working with our new party leader, Senator Chambers, the new Leader of the House and all colleagues in a cohesive way and in a manner that is about looking after all our people and their interests and moving our island forward in a shared way. That is exciting and I look forward to it.