This day marks our new beginning.
On Friday February 25th 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/Labour 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
Mícheál Ó Núnáin - Michael Noonan.
Ruairi Ó Cuinn - Ruairí Quinn
Breandán Ó Húilín - Brendan Howlin
Risteard de Briotún - Richard Bruton
- Joan Burton
Séamus Ó Duibhneacháin - Jimmy Deenihan
Pádraic Ó Coinín - Pat Rabbitte
Pilib Ó hÓgáin - Phil Hogan
Alan Shatter
Síomón Ó Caoibheanaigh - Simon Coveney
Proinséas Nic Gerailt - Frances Fitzgerald.
Seamus Ó Raghallaigh - James Reilly
and
Leo Varadkar
I am reconfiguring the functions of a number of Departments and these Departments of State will be assigned as follows:
Department of Foreign Affairs & Trade to Eamonn Gilmore.
Department of Finance to Michael Noonan.
Department of Education & Skills to Ruairí Quinn
Department of Public Expenditure & Reform to Brendan Howlin
Department of Enterprise, Jobs & 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 &
Natural Resources to Pat Rabbitte
Department of the Environment, Community &
Local Government to Phil Hogan
Departments of Justice & Equality and Defence to Alan Shatter
Department of Agriculture, Marine & Food to Simon Coveney
Department of Children to Frances Fitzgerald.
Department of Health to James Reilly
Department of Transport, Tourism & Sport to Leo Varadkar
Appointment of Attorney General:
I propose to nominate
Marie Whelan, S.C.
for appointment by the President to be the Attorney General.
Appointment of Ministers of State:
I propose to nominate Paul Kehoe as Minister of State at Department of the Taoiseach and Government Chief Whip.
and
Willie Penrose as Minister of State attending the Government and Minister of State at the Department of the Environment, Community & Local Government with special responsibility for Housing and Planning.
Pending completion of the necessary processes for establishment of the new Departments and for transfers of functions, the existing Departments will be assigned to the 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 re-create 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, Sean Lemass, Jack Lynch, Garrett Fitzgerald, John Bruton..... who had no priority other than the national good.
Now, here today, 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 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 re-construction of our country.
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 on the threshold of a new era of achievement, prosperity and potential. It will take time.
And toil.
But out of adversity we can and will create a new Ireland filled with ambition, excitement, energy, drive.
An Ireland where we can hope and dream again.
An Ireland where our people are working again.
The Wright Report exposed the ritual, ‘cultural’ application of ruthless, “fly-by” economics on us all.
Of successive governments ignoring advice and warnings, abdicating their responsibility, in a move so abject, the IMF arrived at our door.
And because they 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 Vincent de Paul calling to their door.
Dreading the postman: dropping bills like stealth-bombs into the hall.
This truth of the Ireland of 2011 must be acknowledged and changed - and that is the challenge facing this new Government and this new Dáil
Truth
Starting today, with an ambitious programme for government, we make sure that ‘what was done’, will most certainly not be done again.
We approach the crisis as an opportunity – a chance to reinvent our country.
To create a new Ireland that works. That is fair. That is honest.
I said earlier, that as Taoiseach, I’m entering into a covenant with the Irish people:
To tell them the truth of our situation always, however unwelcome, difficult, frightening it might be.
Starting today, I want to close the gap between politics and the people, between government and the governed
I want to renew government in people’s hearts and imaginations as a true reflection of their own standards, their own conscience and their own values.
Values of self-awareness, compassion, integrity, respect, dignity, kindness, courage, generosity, affection, authenticity, hope.
And especially – truth and trust.
The Plan
As a new Government –we have to deliver on that and get to work on your behalf quickly.
Within the first 100 days of our government, we will introduce a Jobs Budget that will help keep families together and our young people at home building the future of their own country.
We will cut the lower rate of VAT
Halve the lower rate of employers’ PRSI
We’ll create 15,000 new places in training, work-experience and education, for people out of work.
Through NewERA we will revitalise our national-infrastructure networks – 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’ll 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, bad for 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 our state.
We’ll start at the top with the political
system.
With the people’s approval, abolish the Seanad.
Reduce ministerial salaries and abolish severance pay.
We’ll open up Government and ban corporate donations.
And we’ll 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’ll make the system smaller and more efficient by cutting employee-numbers without compulsory redundancies
Giving frontline staff more power to make decisions; bringing 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-GP- 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, not ability to pay.
Conclusion
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 must take together.
Faith that we can better ourselves.
Faith that we can renew government.
Faith in a confident, shared future for ourselves, for our children and for our children’s children.
Today then, as we take the first steps on the next stage of our country’s journey.
Let’s be vigilant, compassionate, courageous, truthful, enterprising and where we can... find and celebrate reasons to be joyful ourselves...
I believe we can.
And we must.
ENDS