Timmy Dooley (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I congratulate the Cathaoirleach on his election and elevation to this high office. He is well overdue based on his work rate and his commitment to public service. Like others, I have been contacted by many councillors throughout the country over the last number of days and it is clear from travelling and meeting with them that the Cathaoirleach has played a very important role in cementing the relationship between the Oireachtas and local representatives in county councils. He well deserves this accolade and position. Now the work begins and I know he has the tenacity, capacity, ability and grounding in public life through his contact with councillors to do a really good job. I wish him well and will work with him in doing that.

I also recognise the appointments of Senators Doherty and Chambers as Leader and Deputy Leader of the House, respectively. There has been much talk about the historic significance of the coming together of these three parties, and Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael specifically, to form a Government and the positivity from that. As I reflected on the appointment of Senator Doherty, I saw that one of the practical positives is that I will no longer have to face her across a television studio, where she was always a very forthright campaigner. It will be much easier to be on the same side rather than opposite her and I say that with the greatest possible respect to her. She is someone I have admired for a long time from the other side of the House.

We have talked about many different issues today, but there is no doubt that we are facing some very significant challenges. When we contested various elections over the last number of months, health and housing were to the fore and were the two most important issues on which the general election was fought. They are still there and have to be addressed, but since then we have had the unexpected bolt from the blue of the Covid-19 pandemic crisis. That poses very significant challenges for us and will re-orient how we do business from here on. It is going to challenge the public purse and the economy, as it already has.

In talking about the pandemic, it is important that we recognise the significant loss of life that has taken place. We need to reflect on that, not just for the people who have passed but also for their families, friends and relations who were not able to go through the normal process of a funeral. That has a significant bearing on the lives of so many.

Many lives have been shattered, not just of those who have lost loved ones but those who have lost jobs as well. Some sectors of the economy are attempting to open up today and sadly, many small businesses will not be able to face into the next level of reopening because they just do not see any possibilities for themselves. We will have to do a huge amount of work to recalibrate the economy and get people back to work.

We should also pay due recognition to all front-line workers. Many have mentioned the healthcare workers, who have worked extraordinarily hard at a difficult time. However, there are others in the front line who risked their lives as well, including: in law enforcement, such as prison guards and army personnel; water, sewerage and sanitation workers; those in the retail sector, such as retail and supply chain workers; transport workers, both public and private; electricians and plumbers; and the postman, who is often forgotten when we talk about front-line workers. We must embrace all workers in those sectors, some of whom are undervalued in society. We rightly place a lot of value on education in this country.We sometimes overvalue certain sectors of society, but when faced with a pandemic such as this we see the people we absolutely depend on when the chips are down. We must give recognition to that.

Like others, I wish to make a general comment on the notional lack of a presence in the Cabinet for balanced regional development in terms of the positions. The reality is that Ministers are appointed. There is a former Minister and a former Minister of State here and they will recognise that their roles in those positions were not about bringing the goodies to their constituencies. As heads of Departments, they represented all the country. Our role and the role of Members of the Lower House is to make the case for the people we represent and to ensure a fair hearing is given to the needs of our various communities. I will be fighting hard on behalf of the constituency of Clare, which I had the tremendous honour to represent in the past. There are real challenges there. I acknowledge Senator Garvey's presence too. She is a good friend of mine and we have many connections. She will also be a champion of the issues.

There are issues in the mid-west. There is the continued importance of Shannon Airport. There is the attempt to find a resolution to our energy crisis, recognising that Moneypoint will no longer play the major role it did previously. The communities that have built up and survived around that area now need to find an alternative. I put a great deal of stock in the last Dáil on ensuring that a just transition was not just for the midlands. Yes, it is important there, but we must now look at a just transition not only in the energy sector but also the requirement for a just transition to assist people to transition away from the employment opportunities that no longer exist as a result of the pandemic. Certain small businesses, particularly in the tourism and hospitality sector, will never open again. They supported two, three or four workers each. I am often taken by the way in which there is a public outcry if 100 jobs are lost, and rightly so, but sometimes 100 small businesses that are employing four or five people each go out of business overnight and nobody talks about it.

We must reflect now on where we are and the challenges we face, and try to find solutions for the people we represent. First, that involves getting people back to work. However, we must not forget the crisis that existed previously, and still does, in the health service, with a greater number of people than ever still waiting, and the housing crisis, which has bedevilled the past two Administrations. We cannot again allow ourselves to ignore that situation. The most basic expectation of any man, woman or child is to have a roof over his or her head and to know where he or she is going at night. If we are to have any success in the term of this Oireachtas, attaching great significance to resolving those two problems would serve us all, and the country, well.