Micheál Martin has been elected as Taoiseach for a second time - eventually.
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00:00Result, Tá 95, Níl 76. The question is carried and I'd like to congratulate Deputy Mícheál Mícheál.
01:00I'll now call Deputy Martin to speak for 10 minutes.
01:30I would like to thank my proposer, Albert Donal, seconder, Deputy Catherine Ardain, and all of the deputies who supported me.
01:57From my own party Fianna Fáil, from the Fine Gael party, and from the regional independent group, all of whom negotiated a programme for government in an upfront and honest manner.
02:09It is a sad development in my view in many parliaments in the world that they have become more angry and divisive.
02:16They have become forums dominated by the inflated rhetoric of demonstrations rather than a place where different groups can argue in good faith and respectfully disagree.
02:28On the day where we carry out our most important constitutional duty as representatives of the people, we should take a moment to remember and respect those things which we share.
02:40It is a profound honour to be nominated to serve as head of the government in a free, democratic and diverse republic.
02:50Today, I am deeply conscious of the democratic tradition which our country has developed over more than a century.
02:58We should never take for granted the freedoms and opportunities secured for us by the generations who sat here before us, and by the men and women who fought and campaigned for the establishment of Dáil Éireann.
03:12Our democracy has remained strong through some of the gravest challenges of a turbulent century.
03:18We have continued to have free debate and free elections.
03:22We have never wavered in our commitment to the peaceful resolution of disputes.
03:28The most powerful thing about the mandate which each of us in this House holds is that it is based on the support of our families, our supporters, in most cases our parties and above all our communities.
03:42I could not be more thankful to all of those who have been at my side and have helped me to achieve the honour of being nominated to serve as Taoiseach.
03:53It is the nature of politics that the focus is mostly on the few of us who achieve office, but the role of those who work with and for us is central.
04:07I want to thank those who work for our party and have kept our voice and our representation so strong.
04:13They never believed the predictions and had faith that our people and our policies would prevail.
04:19I also want to thank the many friends and colleagues who have helped me over the years and who, with typical Cork modesty, advocate on a regular basis for the well-being of my home city and county.
04:33As they have grown, my children Michaela, Eva and Cillian have moved from being observers to being pillars for me.
04:42They are unflinching in their advice and constant in their support.
04:47I have been blessed to have a partner in Mary who has done so much more than just keeping me rooted.
04:55No position I have held and nothing I have achieved would have been possible without her.
05:02I would also like to acknowledge my wider family and especially my late parents Paddy and Lana.
05:26Yesterday was the anniversary of the passing of my late father and this week, every year, I remember all he did for us and the values which he lived by every day.
05:37A strong and athletic sporting man, he was also quiet and determined in the small and large steps he took every day to help others.
05:46The CIE Widow and Orphans Fund, which he founded, helping hundreds of families at tough times of the year, was just one example of his commitment to turning values into action.
05:57Ours was a home where service to the wider community and an understanding of shared responsibility within society was always the defining value.
06:09Tornos Cross was a wonderful place to grow up in and I will always be grateful to Collage Decrees III, both primary and secondary, for the education and encouragement which our teachers gave to me and my generation.
06:23My respect and belief in the essential role teachers play in building communities and society stems from the inspiring guidance I received from many of my teachers who were ambitious for us and set the sky as the limit.
06:39And it was also there that I first learned of the power of political action, as few of us working-class kids then could have hoped to complete school without the revolution which Minister for Education Donal O'Malley and former teacher Jack Lynch introduced.
06:56As I look at Ireland today, it is clear that there can be a degree of cynicism towards politics and too often we dismiss the motivation of others, especially those we disagree with.
07:13I reject this. I believe in the good faith of those who seek to serve their communities in elective office. And I believe that politics remains a force for good, a force for positive change.
07:26I hope that we can have a co-operative Oireachtas in the coming years where we try to emphasise positive discussion.
07:33For my part, I intend to remain open to constructive ideas from deputies from all parts of the House.
07:42When nominating members of the new Government, I will address more specific policy points, but I think it is important to state the core principles on which I intend to lead the Government.
07:51When reflecting on the legacy of republicanism from the 1916 generation of which he was a part, Sean Le Mass always stressed the idea of responding to the needs of today and shaping the future.
08:05For him, true republicanism was not about following the past, it was about a willingness to move on and create new ways forward.
08:14He summed this up with his favourite quote from Padraig Pearse,
08:18Every generation has its task. And for us today, for this generation of political leaders, the task is to protect Ireland's strength at a moment of real threat, while also addressing critical social needs.
08:33By any reasonable measure, this is a challenging moment in world history.
08:39Ireland is an open democracy with an open economy. We cannot expect to stand unaffected on the sidelines.
08:48We must protect and renew an economic model which delivers high employment and resources for public services.
08:55Central to this, we must strengthen our three essential relationships with Europe, the United States and the United Kingdom.
09:04Europe is the essential foundation upon which we rely.
09:09This week marks the anniversary of the day when Jack Lynch and Patrick Hillary signalled our commitment to a European future by signing our Treaty of Accession.
09:19The Government I lead will work every day in the same spirit.
09:24We will work to help reform and strengthen the European Union.
09:28We will work with others to overcome urgent economic, environmental and political challenges which threaten our shared interests and values.
09:36We will not flinch in our support for protecting Europe's freedom and democracy.
09:42Our relationship of kinship with the United States is older than our state.
09:48It has endured because we have continued to renew bonds of respect and cooperation.
09:55We are not naive about the realities of change.
09:59But equally, the Ireland-America relationship is one which benefits us both and it will emerge strongly no matter what.
10:08The United Kingdom remains a close social, cultural and economic neighbour for us.
10:14We will begin operating a new systematic approach to consultation and cooperation.
10:20And internationally, we will be an active voice for the values of peace, cooperation and development.
10:27We will follow the profoundly welcome ceasefire in Gaza with a sustained programme of humanitarian and reconstruction aid.
10:38And we will do this through cooperation with the World Food Programme and UNRWA.
10:44Protecting and renewing Ireland's economic strength and standing in the world must, as I have said, also be accompanied by sustained action on other urgent needs.
10:53Sixty years ago this month, Sean Lemass went to Stormont to meet Terence O'Neill.
11:00They agreed that we should be able to promote our constitutional objectives while also working together for shared development.
11:08It is a great tragedy that their new departure then was not allowed to achieve more.
11:15The new government will push forward on the historic task of building a lasting reconciliation.
11:21We will implement the largest ever programme of north-south research and investment, opening critical links and building both engagement and understanding through a further strengthened Shared Ireland initiative.
11:34Too many people are struggling to afford a home to buy or rent.
11:38Helping them will be a priority for the new government and for the Dáil.
11:42Too many people with disabilities and their families have to fight too hard to access the services they deserve.
11:49We must begin a new era in support for them, not just increasing resources but step-changing the scale, nature and delivery of services.
11:59This is not the work of one Minister, it must be the work of every part of government and of this Oireachtas.
12:05We must deliver both resources and reform to help all our children to get the best start in life through smaller classes, through community development programmes and through targeting resources to help families experiencing poverty.
12:18We must protect nature and biodiversity and move forward in tackling the existential problem of climate change.
12:27In all of this, the government I will lead will reject the sterile politics of the extremes.
12:33The empty gestures of those who want to impose inflexible ideologies when addressing issues which are as complex and diverse as our people.
12:41Mine will be a government which seeks to work in a spirit of practical republicanism.
12:46A spirit which has helped our country achieve so much in the past and which is essential if we are to meet the challenges of today.
12:53A spirit which will create equality of opportunity for all, which will work to underpin and promote the status, the dignity and independence of people with disabilities.
13:02A spirit that will build more houses at an accelerated pace and work every day to build reconciliation between the different traditions on the island of Ireland.
13:12In my role as a leader in this new government, in the controversial climate crisis, I have a duty to work tirelessly every day as a leader to make this country a better place.
13:29I will support and support the people of Ireland with everything I have.
13:33And without fail, we will be able to deal with the great challenges facing us today.
13:39I promise you that I will do everything in my power to make this country a better place.
13:45Thank you very much and see you soon.
14:09Thank you very much.