-----and that no TD can be in government and in opposition at the same time. I would further say that this is not a temporary arrangement for today. There has to be an explicit understanding that, procedurally and in accordance with logic and the value of democracy, that distinction is recognised and respected throughout all of our work. By the way, considerable time could have been saved yesterday had the Government the foresight to simply recognise that logic and the value of that logic to the functioning of the …

I thank an Teachta Farrell and an Teachta Doherty for this nomination. Government, of course, is not about one individual but the person elected as Taoiseach, their politics, their priorities and their values undoubtedly shape the future of the country. The Taoiseach and, by extension, the Government, must lead from the front and by example, demonstrate in word and deed that the public interest comes first, demonstrate courage and humility, honour their word, act with strong spirit and in good faith, mean what you …

-----and any attempt to railroad us will be met head on without fear or hesitation. We will stand our ground and we will always stand up for those who depend on us to fight their corner. The people of Ireland have worked hard and the State now has unprecedented wealth and resources: everything needed to build a fair and equal society. The State has never been richer but so many of our people - working people - are left behind. I grew up in Dublin in the 1980s and things were tough but never in my worst nightmares d…

Our work and our ambition for building a better, fair, equal and united Ireland has never been more important. We stick to that task with real belief, with renewed hope and refreshed determination. It is in that spirit that I accept this nomination.

I am having a serious episode of déjà vu .

All of a sudden, I am transported back to 2020. The Tánaiste spoke of a balanced programme. I have to say what is manifest and obvious: you have got the gender balance wrong. You are very male. Some of you are pale but you are very, very male. In politics in a representative democracy, we should strive to reflect and mirror the communities we represent, inasmuch as we can. I have to say as an Irishwoman, leaving aside that I am a parliamentarian, I find it kind of depressing that again we see the absence of us. I w…

-----to set back the goal of ceasing trading with companies that profit from the dispossession, the apartheid and the brutal dehumanisation of the Palestinian people. I regard this as a stunning betrayal. Humanitarian aid is necessary and reconstruction is absolutely vital, but we need to be clear that on their own these are not enough.

Israel must be held to account. There have to be consequences for the Netanyahu regime and its genocidal actions. I feel certain there will be a united call from these benches, the Opposition benches, and from the Irish public that this Government should do the right thing by Palestine. I have said before that elections are where Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael make their promises and it is in government where they break them. If this document is the product of Fine Gael's supposed new energy, then I am afraid the tank i…

It is ridiculous.

It is astonishing, after weeks and weeks of haggling among the parties that proposed to form Government over who would get which job, and how much they could increase the respective allowance for their record number of Ministers of State, that we find ourselves meeting on the first day of the Dáil and the first action of Government is to propose a further two-week holiday. This is unacceptable. We all know the big issues that face people on the ground and the message to Government needs to be: "Get to work." There …

-----which, remember, are elected here by hundreds of thousands of voters to hold this Government to account and express the democratic wishes and desires of those people and communities. I have seen brazen actions by Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael in past Dáileanna and Governments but this takes the biscuit. Rather than agreeing to temporary measures which afford these Government TDs speaking rights as though they were members of the Opposition, this should have been called out from the get-go. The Ceann Comhairle said…

Ceann Comhairle-----

In order for us to fulfil our democratic mandate, there has to be respect for the Opposition benches.

Ceann Comhairle-----

Ceann Comhairle-----

Nach bhfuil seans ag na ceannairí eile cúpla focal a rá faoin gCeann Comhairle?

We should have been informed of that.

I appreciate that but we should have been informed.

Ar dtús gabhaim míle buíochas leis na céadta míle duine a chaith vóta san olltoghchán ar son Shinn Féin, ar son athraithe agus ar son Rialtais nua. Déanaim comhghairdeas ó chroí le gach duine sa Teach inniu a toghadh mar Theachta Dála sa Cheathrú Dáil is Tríocha. Is onóir mhór é a bheith tofa ag toghdóirí mo Dháilcheantair agus tá sé i gceist agam mo lándícheall a dhéanamh ar son Bhaile Átha Cliath Láir agus ar son mhuintir na hÉireann. Congratulations also to you, madam Ceann Comhairle. Lá stairiúil atá ann duit f…

It is rare, but the Tánaiste was actually right. Consistency did not matter, Micheál, although you have been consistent in this: of recent years you have been hell bent on putting Fine Gael back into Government. This time, you hope for another five years, to copper-fasten and lead to 19 years of Fine Gael in power. The Tánaiste is so committed to that particular goal that he will not even countenance talking to Sinn Féin, the second-largest party in this Dáil and, it must be remembered, the largest political party …