Conor Murphy (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I offer a hearty comhghairdeas to Senator Daly on his election as Chair of the Seanad. I also congratulate all other Seanad Members on their election or appointment to this House. I look forward very much to working with everyone in this House in the time ahead.

It is a great honour for me to be elected to this institution having served for quite a long time on the northern side of the Border. I am a citizen of County Armagh. I have a very particular experience of life and the difficulties in Border communities and the difficulties partition presents to them, and the opportunities that exist in terms of all-island collaboration on matters like health, transport, agriculture, agrifoods and the all-Ireland economy, which was a particular focus of mine when I served as Minister for the Economy in the northern Executive. I intend to continue that work as part of my role as a Seanadóir and as part of a 45-member-strong Oireachtas team of Sinn Féin representatives. I am very pleased that I have been asked to be the leader of our Seanad team in that regard.

We will pursue a very progressive agenda and, of course, in this House we intend to work very collaboratively and constructively with all to try to ensure we hold the Government to account on very critical issues around housing, health and other matters and to ensure that some of the promises that have been undertaken and not yet delivered, particularly in terms of the number of houses but also on other issues, are delivered over the course of this mandate and that we move away from the current focus, which seems to be on expanding the Cabinet and creating super junior Ministers, to the real issues of the day. Of course, my colleague, Deputy Pa Daly, currently has a case before the courts with regard to that matter. I expect the courts will give us clarity and that we will continue in this House to hold the Government to account.

I believe the defining issue in the coming years will be the constitutional question. There is a great opportunity for this House to play a role in that and begin the necessary discussions and preparations, in accordance with the Good Friday Agreement principles, which will value respect, inclusivity and dialogue with people who consider themselves British, Irish or neither across this island and try to build a better future for all the people who live on this island. That is the way forward.I see an opportunity for all of us to begin that work. The Cathaoirleach referenced the good relationships he has with the speaker of the assembly and others. That work will be vital in the time ahead. We need to get down to the preparation work.

Of course, an opportunity is coming up in the autumn in voting for a President. It would have been a significant opportunity had the issue of allowing voting rights been grasped by the previous administration, especially for citizens who live north of the Border and for citizens more widely. It is to be hoped that we can, over the course of this mandate, press the Government to deliver on a commitment that it made and that the constitutional investigation into these issues recommended.

This is a very uncertain time internationally. We all have a concern about what is shaping up under the new Administration in America. It is vital for security of jobs to make sure that we chart a very steady course on that. Ireland has the opportunity of the Presidency of the European Union in the time ahead. Again, that presents a very significant opportunity to bring some sense and calmness to international issues, including the daily issue of Palestine, in particular Gaza, and the inflicting of huge atrocities on citizens there. That is something this House must turn its attention to in the time ahead.

I once again congratulate the Chair very much on his appointment. I look forward to working with him in the time ahead in the group that I will lead in the Seanad. I look forward to working constructively with all other Seanadóirí to try to achieve all that we can for the people of Ireland throughout all its Thirty-two Counties.