Simon Harris became the Taoiseach after a period of 13 years since his inaugural address to the Dáil, following an 88 to 69 vote in his favour. Now as leader of the Fine Gael and the head of the Government, Harris firmly pledged to represent and serve all citizens without bias.
“My commitment is to serve all parties, irrespective of their political ideology, working on your behalf and for the benefit of our beloved country. My role as Taoiseach will involve active listening,” he articulated. “The message I bring is straightforward – I aim to dedicate each day towards enhancing the lives of all our countrymen and women, propelled by optimism and motivated by a vision for a superior future. I am here to bring novel leadership and renewed vitality.”
Subsequent to two hours of arguments and his official nomination as Taoiseach, Mr Harris highlighted his key areas of concern. “The housing crisis still stands as the most formidable socio-economic hurdle faced by our generation. Today, I repledge my efforts towards boosting housing construction and increasing home ownership. I will focus relentlessly on delivering Sláintecare, elevating mental health services provision and implementing significant changes in elderly care,” he remarked.
Humble and serious in his intentions, Mr Harris expressed his desire to work collaboratively on reforms that will impact in an important and tangible way the lives of people with disabilities.
In his address, he acknowledged his precursor, Leo Varadkar, labelling him a ‘pioneer’ for his exceptional efforts in navigating through formidable challenges our time, such as Brexit and the Covid-19 crisis.
He gave particular mention to Simon Coveney, who stepped down as the Minister for Enterprise, for his remarkable services to the nation over the years, particularly saluting his contributions during the Brexit crisis.
Mr Harris expressed his readiness to embark on his new role, expressing his humility and eagerness, he stated, “In embracing this new position with humility, anticipation and undying determination, I, as Taoiseach want to infuse public life with innovative concepts, replenished energy and hopefully, a fresh sense of empathy.”
In his concluding address as Taoiseach, Mr Varadkar heralded his 13-year tenure within the governing body as the peak of his personal and professional fulfilment. Despite this, he declared that it’s time to start a new chapter for his party, for his own life, and indeed for the Coalition Government.
With the formation of the three-party alliance, Mr Varadkar noted how “Civil War politics” in Parliament have been extinguished. He extolled Ireland as a remarkable nation, praising its over-a-century-long stability as a democracy, a rare feat amid global nations. He asserted, “Although we’ve faced our fair share of challenges, which more often than not were birthed externally or carried international implications, we stand as a nation of greatness, not failure.”
Among his parting thoughts, Mr Varadkar advocated against unchecked conservatism, cautioning that it isn’t always the most prudent approach. He claimed the country’s healthcare woes are surmountable, albeit costly, time-consuming, and hindered by reform resistance. However, he advised against surrendering to these obstacles.
Touching upon the subject of national security, Mr Varadkar stressed the necessity of readiness for any repercussions ensuing from an assault on a fellow EU nation.
Speaking of the political discourse, Mr Varadkar noted its increasing vitriol and stressed that politicians need to foster a more respectful atmosphere of dissension. He mentioned that he always envisaged Mr Harris as his successor, albeit sooner than expected, praising his empathetic nature, invigorating enthusiasm, and adeptness at campaigning and political fluency and expressed his eagerness to cast his vote for him.
Nomination for the position of Taoiseach was extended to Mr Harris by Fine Gael’s deputy leader Heather Humphreys, who commended him for his receptiveness, co-operativeness, and indefatigability. Humphreys also amusingly pointed out Mr Harris’s lineage to taxi driver father, Bart Harris, advising Simon to ‘keep his ears open’ to his father’s valuable ‘on-the-pulse’ insights.
Minister of State, Peter Burke, strongly affirmed his support for Mr Harris, applauding his ability to strategically articulate his thoughts without wavering, his capacity to show empathy, his intelligence and his unwavering confidence in his own abilities. Tánaiste Micheál Martin emphasised the importance of moderate politics, expressing disdain for opposition factions who clamour for a general election each time a new Taoiseach is to be chosen. He criticised Sinn Féin’s policy of privately electing and replacing leaders without ever holding a public or internal election, characterising this as an exclusive practice not shared by any other substantial opposition party.
Despite heckles throughout his speech predominantly about climate change and government collaboration, Eamon Ryan, the leader of the Green Party, staunchly defended Darragh O’Brien’s handling of the housing crisis. However, his statements were met with criticism, including a reminder from a Sinn Féin TD of the prevailing homelessness problem and another telling him bluntly to “go back to sleep”.
Mary Lou McDonald, the leader of Sinn Féin, denounced the current government for grossly failing in the areas that mattered the most, and maintained that no quantity of arrogant boasting could hide this reality. She contended that the day’s proceedings prioritised self-preservation rather than Ireland’s best interests or the welfare of its citizens. Ireland, she said, was deserving of much better. McDonald also pointedly asserted that people in their 30s who are still living with their parents don’t feel that the incoming Taoiseach has their interests at heart, a comment which was met with a reproachful remark from a Fine Gael member in response.
Labour leader Ivana Bacik sarcastically likened Mr Harris’s party speech about a “new energy” to a tagline from Star Wars, cheekily asking where this ‘new energy’ was in solving key issues like housing, healthcare, childcare, workers’ rights, disability, and climate action.
Holly Cairns, the head of Social Democrats, has made a call for a drastic shift in how we handle current crisis in arenas such as housing, healthcare, services for the disabled, childcare and climate initiatives. She believes that any changes to be made cannot come from a Taoiseach who is affiliated with a party that has the same government program and policies. We need a government with a completely fresh perspective, otherwise the issues will continue to escalate, she claimed.
A representative from People Before Profit said he found the actions of Binyamin Netanyahu, which he has witnessed during Mr Harris’s ardfheis speech, disgusting. Despite this, Fine Gael rejected a proposal to implement the Occupied Territories Bill. In response to this, a clever remark was made by Paul Kehoem who is a member of Fine Gael.
The new taoiseach found it amusing when Mick Barry, a Solidarity TD, expressed his opinion on the selected song at the ardfheis, ‘You ain’t seen nothing yet’, and proposed that instead they should have used The Who song ‘We won’t be fooled again’ with the last line being ‘ meet the new boss, same as the old boss’.
Ceann Comhairle Seán Ó Fearghaíl made a lighthearted suggestion saying, “You should bring a turntable next time.”
Danny Healy-Rae, an Independent TD, put forward his brother Michael as a candidate for the role of Taoiseach stating that he is very capable of fulfilling this role because he has a real understanding of people’s needs. Mr Healy urged Sinn Féin and the Independents to support his brother for the role if they have “any iota of independence” as he believes most of them are at heart, aligned with Fine Gael.