B'áil liom cead a chur in iúl, mar eolas don Dáil, gur chuir mé m'ainmniú mar Thaoiseach in iúl don Uachtarán agus gur cheap sí mé dá réir.
I beg leave to announce, for the information of the Dáil, that I have informed the President that the Dáil has nominated me to be the Taoiseach and that she has appointed me accordingly.
This day marks our new beginning. On Friday, 25 February 2011 the people spoke. The outcome of that election is the selection of the 31st Dáil and the mandate received by Fine Gael and the Labour Party to form a government. It is now my duty to place before the House for its approval a new Fine Gael and Labour Party Government to lead our people into a new era for our country
Tairigim:
Go gcomhaontóidh Dáil Éireann leis an Taoiseach d'ainmniú na dTeachtaí seo a leanas chun a gceaptha ag an Uachtarán mar chomhaltaí den Rialtas:
I move:
That Dáil Éireann approve the nomination by the Taoiseach of the following Deputies for appointment by the President to be members of the Government:
Éamon Mac Giollamoir |
Eamon Gilmore. |
I also propose to nominate him as Tánaiste.
Mícheal Ó Núnáin |
Michael Noonan. |
Ruairí Ó Cuinn |
Ruairí Quinn |
Breandán Ó Húilín |
Brendan Howlin |
Risteard de Briotún |
Richard Bruton |
Siobhán de Bhurtúin |
Joan Burton |
Séamus Ó Duibhneacháin |
Jimmy Deenihan |
Pádraic Ó Coinín |
Pat Rabbitte |
Pilib Ó hÓgáin |
Phil Hogan |
Alan Shatter |
|
Síomon Ó Caoibheanaigh |
Simon Coveney |
Proinséas Nic Gearailt |
Frances Fitzgerald. |
Seamus Ó Raghallaigh |
James Reilly |
agus |
and |
Leo Varadkar. |
I am reconfiguring the functions of a number of Departments. They will be assigned as follows:
An Roinn Gnóthaí Eachtracha agus Trádála |
Éamon Mac Giollamoir |
An Roinn Airgeadais |
Mícheal Ó Núnáin |
An Roinn Oideachais agus Scileanna |
Ruairí Ó Cuinn |
An Roinn Caiteachais Phoiblí agus Athchóirithe |
Breandán Ó Húilín |
An Roinn Fiontar, Post agus Nuálaíochta |
Risteard de Briotún |
An Roinn Coimirce Sóisialaí |
Siobhán de Bhurtúin |
An Roinn Gnóthaí Ealaíon, Oidhreachta agus Gaeltachta |
Séamus Ó Duibhneacháin |
An Roinn Cumarsáide, Fuinnimh agus Acmhainní Nádúrtha |
Pádraic Ó Coinín |
An Roinn Comhshaoil, Pobail agus Rialtais Áitiúil |
Pilib Ó hÓgáin |
An Roinn Dlí agus Cirt agus Comhionannais agus an Roinn Cosanta |
Alan Shatter |
An Roinn Talmhaíochta, Mara agus Bia |
Síomon Ó Caoibheanaigh |
An Roinn Leanaí |
Proinséas Mhic Gerailt |
An Roinn Sláinte |
Seamus Ó Raghallaigh |
An Roinn Iompair, Turasóireachta agus Spóirt |
Leo Varadkar |
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade to |
Eamon Gilmore. |
Department of Finance to |
Michael Noonan. |
Department of Education and Skills to |
Ruairí Quinn. |
Department of Public Expenditure and Reform to |
Brendan Howlin. |
Department of Enterprise, Jobs and Innovation to |
Richard Bruton. |
Department of Social Protection to |
Joan Burton. |
Department of Arts, Heritage and Gaeltacht Affairs to |
Jimmy Deenihan. |
Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources to |
Pat Rabbitte. |
Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government to |
Phil Hogan. |
Department of Justice and Equality and the Department of Defence to |
Alan Shatter. |
Department of Agriculture, Marine and Food to |
Simon Coveney. |
Department of Children to |
Frances Fitzgerald. |
Department of Health to |
James O’Reilly. |
Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport to |
Leo Varadkar. |
I propose to nominate Maire Whelan SC for appointment by the President to be the Attorney General.
I propose to nominate Deputy Paul Kehoe as Minister of State at Department of the Taoiseach and Chief Whip and Deputy Willie Penrose as Minister of State attending the Government and Minister of State at the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government with special responsibility for housing and planning. Deputy Penrose will attend Cabinet meetings.
Pending completion of the necessary processes for the establishment of the new Departments and for transfers of functions, the existing Departments will be assigned to members of the Government. In putting forward these names for the approval of the House for their appointment by the President, I should like to indicate my thinking about the priorities which my Government will observe.
Today we recreate our proud Republic. Today we think of all the good men and women who have gone before us in this place. We remember especially former taoisigh like John A. Costello, Liam Cosgrave, Eamon de Valera, Seán Lemass, Jack Lynch, Garret FitzGerald, John Bruton and others. Now, a new Government begins the next stage of our Republic's journey, a Government that will work as hard as the people, applying all the talent and vision and heart we have to the betterment of our people and our country.
No nation in the world has such a history of courage in the face of adversity or resilience in the face of challenge. Our task, however, is more than the rebuilding of an economy or the rescue of a reputation. Our task is to create a new context of confidence and drive, to free up our entrepreneurs to create the next wave of great Irish businesses, to persuade and allow our best and brightest to stay with us through the reconstruction of our country and to empower fresh thinking rooted deep in our old traditions.
We have proven ourselves before, at home and abroad, as warriors and peacemakers, educators and artists, workers and thinkers. Now we are again on the threshold of a new era of achievement, prosperity and potential. It will take time and the road ahead is not easy but out of adversity we can and will create a new Ireland filled with ambition, excitement, energy and drive, where we can hope and dream again and where our people are working again.
The Wright report exposed the ritual, cultural application of ruthless, fly-by economics on us all and of successive Governments ignoring advice and warnings and abdicating responsibility in a move so abject that the IMF arrived at our door, and because it did our Republic is betrayed. People are frightened of losing their homes. Parents are rendered speechless at the sight of their children boarding planes to countries where spring is autumn and our today is their tomorrow. Employers are traumatised by laying off staff and shutting down businesses. Workers pray for invisibility as they queue for the dole. Families worry that the neighbours might see the St. Vincent de Paul calling to their door and dread the postman dropping bills like stealth bombs into the hall.
This truth of the Ireland of 2011 has to be acknowledged and changed and that is the essential challenge facing the new Government and Dáil. Starting today, with an ambitious programme for Government, we will make sure that what was done will most certainly not be done again. We approach the crisis as an opportunity and a chance to reinvent our country and to create a new Ireland that works and is fair and honest.
I said earlier that as Taoiseach I am entering into a covenant with the Irish people to tell them the truth of our situation, however unwelcome. Starting today, I want to close the gap between politics and the people, between Government and the governed. The cynicism, depth of difference, gulf and remoteness of many people in our country from their Government and what it actually means became glaringly obvious during the recent election campaign. I want to renew government in people's hearts and imaginations as a true reflection of their own standards, conscience and values, such as self-awareness, compassion, integrity, respect, dignity, kindness, courage, generosity, affection, authenticity, hope and, especially, truth and trust.
As a new Government we have to deliver on that and get to work on the people's behalf quickly. Within the first 100 days of Government, we will introduce a jobs budget that will help keep families together and our young people at home building their future in their own country. We will cut the lower rate of VAT, halve the lower rate of employers' PRSI and create 15,000 new places in training, work experience and education for people who are currently out of work.
Through NewERA we will revitalise our national infrastructure networks of water, energy and broadband to create thousands of new jobs and increase our competitiveness. We will stop any further transfer of assets to NAMA. We will set up a strategic investment bank and new mechanisms to deliver credit to small businesses. We will start to reduce the deficit by having no increases in income tax and by renegotiating the IMF-EU deal, a deal that is bad for Ireland and Europe.
Critical to all of this is reform of how our country works. That is why we will introduce the most ambitious ever programme for reform since the foundation of the State. We will start at the top with the political system. With the people's approval, we will abolish Seanad Éireann. We will reduce ministerial salaries and abolish severance pay. We will open up Government, ban corporate donations and establish a constitutional convention to give Ireland a Constitution fit for the 21st century.
Under this programme for Government, there will be a new Department of public sector reform. We will make the system smaller and more efficient by cutting employee numbers without compulsory redundancies. We will give front line staff more power to make decisions and bring in new personnel to strengthen the senior Civil Service. In the vital area of health we will introduce universal health insurance, starting with the gradual introduction of free general practitioner care. When universal health insurance is fully completed Ireland will have, for the first time in its history, a single-tier health system where everyone is equal. The treatment will depend on medical need and not ability to pay.
Yes, this is an ambitious, complex plan but we share a disposition to radically change the way the country works. The next chapter of our history requires a leap of faith, one we have to take together. It requires faith that we can better ourselves, faith that we can renew Government and faith in a confident, shared future for ourselves, our children and our children's children. Today, as we take the first steps on the next stage of our country's journey, let us be vigilant, compassionate, courageous, truthful and enterprising and where we can let us find and celebrate reasons to be joyful. I believe we can and must. I commend this motion to the House.