Speech By Brian Cowen in the Dáil following his election as Taoiseach:
Aithním gur mór an onoír dom oifig an Taoisigh a ghlacadh inniu agus glacaim go humhal leis. Is ócáid mhór é do mo chlann, do mo cheíle, Mary, agus mo bheirt iníon Sinéad agus Maedhbh, do mo mháthair May, do mo chlann agus gaolta uilig. Táim fiór-bhuíoch do lucht tachaíochta an rialtas a roghnaigh mé don phost mórchúramach seo.
Nuair a chaithim súil siar ar na hIartaoisigh a bhí i reím sa tír seo ó bhunaíodh ár stat, is maith is eol dom an dea-obair atá deánta acu i leith na tire. Tuigim go maith go bhfuil an cúram céanna ormsa agus ar mo chomhleacaithe sa rialtas.
Taím an bhróduíl as na gaiscí atá deánta ag saoránaigh na tíre seo, sa saol i gcoitinne. Tá clú agus cáil ar ár scríbhnóirí, ár gceoltóirí, ár luthchleasaithe agus uile, ar na mílte ón dtír seo a thaisteal an domhan agus a thaispeán a gcuid talann. Tá daonra an-óg againn sa tír seo agus tá cumas iontu.
Tuigimid go bhfuil fadhbanna agus deacrachtaí le réiteach againn agus geallaimse daoibh go ndeánfaimid ár seacht ndícheall chun na fadhbanna a shárú. Is dúshlán é duínn go leír. Ta an-chuid cainte faoi drochstaid eacnamaíochta na tire seo, ach an bhfuil dearmad déanta againn ar an bhforbairt á déanta againn le blianta anuas. Caithfimid a admháil go bhfuilimid níos fearr as ná mar a bhiómar. Caithfimid bheith réalaíoch.
Níl aon amhras orm ach go bhfuil sé de dhualgas orainn na mór, fadhbanna sóisialta ata againn a réiteach. Beidh sé mar ceann spíce againn cabhair a thabhairt dóibh siúd atá ar imeall ár sochaí. Ní mór duínn aire, urraim, meas agus cion a thabhairt dár seanóirí agus a chinntiú nach mbeidh saol ainnis, dearóil, uaigneach acu amach anseo.
Fadó bhiómar ag brath ar eachtrannaigh chun an tír seo a fhorbairt, ach anois tá pobal oilte againn agus níl drugall orthu a dtalann a léíriú. Deirtear go bhfuil mí na meala thart dom anois – is fada an lá ó bhí mí na meala agam, agus nílim ag suíl leis sa saol polaitíochta. Tuigim go bhfuil jab le déanamh ag an bhfreasúra agus fáiltímid roimh cháineadh dearfach.
Is beag maitheas atá i gcáineadh diúltach. Táimid uilig ag obair ar son na tíre. Maidir leis na meáin, tabharfaimid gach cabhair díbh. Níl ach rud amháin ag teastáil uainn, se sin, cothrom na féinne a thabhairt dúinn inár saol poiblí agus go háirithe inár saol priobháideach. Glacaimid le cáineadh ach iarraimse oraibh é a bheith feáráilte.
Thósnaíos mo óráid i nGaeilge mar is é mo bharúil ná gur seoid luachmhar í ár dteanga agus caithfimid í a chaomhnú agus a fhorbairt. Cé go mbeadh lucht na díspeagach againn i gcónaí, measaim féin go bhfuil dea-mhéin i leith na teangan i measc an phobail anois. Níl aon bhata draíochta agam, ach tá spriocanna ós ár gcomhair. Ní folaír duinn misneach a thabhairt do mhuintir na Gaeltachta agus na Galltachta agus a chur in iúl don phobal go bhfuilimid bróduíl as ár dteanga. Ní ceart go mbeadh náire orainn í a labhairt go poiblí. Cén fáth nach féidir linn bheith dhá-theangach?
Níl bás na teangan mar rogha againn agus deánfaimid sa rialtas gach iarracht ár dteanga a choiméad beo agus a chothú.
A Ceann Comhairle, Deputies from all sides of this House, I am deeply honoured by my election as Taoiseach. A number of weeks ago my parliamentary colleagues chose me to lead Fianna Fail. That was a great honour in itself. Now, today, this House has elected me as Taoiseach. I am the 12th person to have this honour bestowed upon him since the foundation of our State. I accept the honour with a genuine sense of humility.
That sense is engendered in large part from a love of Ireland. This is a wonderful country. We are a fortunate people. We live on an island which has come to enjoy the richness of full peace with no strife or agitation borne from past hostilities. Yesterday’s proceedings at the site of the Battle of the Boyne have reinforced that fact in a very real and visible way. I commend the outgoing Taoiseach and outgoing First Minister, Ian Paisley on the sentiments expressed in their respective addresses at the site yesterday.
The scale of that challenge is expressed in the quality and achievements of all those who have gone before in this high office, not least my immediate predecessor, Bertie Ahern, T.D., whose outstanding contribution to the life of this country has rightly attracted praise and acknowledgement from far and wide. Summarised most eloquently in the message which he brought to the Congress of the United States of America in recent days, his is an inspirational example. I salute him and wish him happiness and fulfilment in the contributions which he will doubtless make over many years ahead.
Tomorrow, I will have the privilege of addressing the Investment Conference for Northern Ireland with Prime Minister Gordon Brown. It is appropriate that, on my first working day as Taoiseach, I will have the opportunity to advance relationships and deepen engagement, both on a North-South and an East-West basis. Consolidating the peace through economic development and mutual understanding will have my full engagement and whole-hearted support. Tomorrow’s conference is a timely reminder that our destiny on this island cannot be secured in isolation from the rest of the world.
We share too much from history and culture with our neighbouring island not to work for the deepest friendship and the most fruitful engagement. Our economic success on this island owes much to the strength and depth of our relationship with the United States, both through the very many investors who have found here a successful partner for investment, and through the scale of the trading relationship between the two economies.
But it is in the context of our European identity, and membership of the European Union, that our place in the international arena, and our relationships with other nations, near and far, find their proper perspective and most potent context. As a member of the European Council, I will strive to ensure that our European vocation is a live, engaged and creative thing, not a passive recipient of the fruits of the labours of others.
In the same spirit, I look forward to leading a campaign over coming weeks to assure the Irish people that ratification of the European Reform Treaty.
Far from damaging our interests, the Treaty will enhance our capacity to shape developments in line with our own perspectives and principles.
There is no more urgent or important task ahead of me. In considering my role as Taoiseach I have thought a great deal about Ireland’s place in the world today. Where does Ireland stand as we approach the closing years of the first decade of the 21st century? We know it is very different even to 10 years ago when we were heading towards the Millennium.
Our economic success, then in its early years, has been sustained. We have settled our relationships on this island and reached accommodations that had been inconceivable for generations. With our increased confidence we explore and exploit new opportunities overseas. The movement of our people now is by choice. In the past it was by force of circumstance. And perhaps most strikingly of all, we have accommodated tens of thousands of migrants coming to our shores to help us sustain our economic success.
All of this represents huge change in a short period. It would be challenging for any society but particularly for us given our location and history. We have adapted well and established many common values with the rest of Europe. They are largely positive values. We have matured through the process and learned from our new experiences how to right some of our failures of the past.
The influence of the EU project has been all pervasive across every aspect of our lives. We have availed of the full range of opportunities of membership better than most. The political, economic and social landscape has been utterly transformed for the better in this country.
The greatest mistake we could make now is to move away from that opening out to the world that has brought such benefits to our nation. I have been reading Des Geraghty’s excellent book ‘Forty Shades of Green’ in recent days. His thesis is that we are now in a new space. What was once one of the most dispersed nations in the world is now becoming one of the most diverse nations. The change is visible and real.
We are now redefining ourselves in terms of both mending relationships with those of other traditions of long standing within the island and establishing relationships with the new Irish and migrants who have come to our shores to share in the economic miracle of the Celtic Tiger economy.
We are also connecting in a myriad of ways through economic, social and cultural lines with many peoples on the continent of Europe and further afield as the economic reach of our society is becoming truly global.
Our Celtic heritage has helped us, as a modern Republic, to take our place as a leading nation within the European Union. We are admired and respected as a progressive country throughout the wider community of the developed world. In the developing world, the tradition of “giving” of our forefathers has been maintained by the contemporary missionary and development work of today’s Irish men and women.
In my first budget speech to this House I talked of economic activity as a servant of society. The statistics speak volumes for what we have achieved in the past 15 years. They might also get too much attention. Some might ask what year on year growth amounts to if it does not improve people’s lives.
Ireland in 2008 is a much better place to live for more of our people than ever before. Far fewer of our people are struggling on the margins of our society. We’ve moved from a 3rd world infrastructure to one that is progressing well and will be the match of many of our European peers.
One of the challenges we face today is to temper a rising tendency towards individualism within Irish society. We have rightly encouraged a culture of the individual taking personal responsibility for their own well being.
We have reaped benefits from the more confident Ireland as presented by its most successful people forging new opportunities at home and abroad. Overdone this carries risks. Not correctly harnessed this can sap the energy from our sense of community which is still strong and visible in so many ways. What we must prioritise is to turn the benefits of individual flair to the benefit of the community as a whole.
This is what government wants. This is what government needs. Our responsibility is to fuel the engine of community – to lead the charge away from the promotion of exclusive self interest towards a superior value of a wider community interest. The pre-eminence of community and participation over self promotes social harmony and a better quality of life for all.
This is what will allow us develop a society of social inclusion. Our particular charge is to represent the interests of our young. The character of the generations that will build this century is still being formed. It is these generations that will decide the shape of the future.
It is our job, as government and as parliamentarians, to take the steps that will make it clearer for that generation to help shape this Republic in a way that realises its greater potential.
I have referenced our economic progress and how that has translated into significant social enhancements. We have made great gains but we face great challenges. Our job as legislators is to provide leadership for society at this time of change. But we need society to engage with us in the process. Change of this nature cannot simply be driven by government.
The “common good” is enshrined in our constitution and should have special relevance in Ireland at the start of the 21st century. The ultimate test of our progress will be the extent to which we can mobilise all of the people to think and behave in a manner that puts the interests of society as whole ahead of their own private interest. As Sean Lemass observed: “All national progress depends on an upsurge of patriotism among the people”
It is the job of government to lead on this issue but that of society as a whole to address. My government will pursue this agenda to lead change and I will return to this theme when I bring forward the nominations to government to this House later this evening.
Finally, I want to reflect on what this means for me personally. On assuming the position as Leader elect of Fianna Fail I said that I was excited if not a little daunted. I have assumed the position of Taoiseach with an even greater sense of responsibility. I have been overwhelmed by the good wishes I have received from people the length and breadth of the country, and indeed from abroad.
I want to particularly thank my family. I got my grounding in politics from my father, Ber who had in turn got it from his father, Christy a founding member of the Fianna Fail party. Politics is about public service above all else.
This is a great day for my wife Mary, daughters Sinead and Maedhbh, my mother, May, my brothers Christopher and Barry and all other members of Mary and my families. I’m also joined by many friends who have made this political journey with me and mine for many years. Their presence fortifies me today.
I thank the men and women of this House for the generosity of their support and good wishes. Indeed I look forward to them extending that blanket of goodwill for many months to come!
All of these greetings from within this House and without are most welcome although - in some respects - they add to the sense of expectation. I will commit myself completely to meeting those expectations. I sincerely hope that I can do so in full. It is now necessary, a Ceann Comhairle, to inform the President of my nomination so that she may appoint me as Taoiseach. Accordingly, I suggest that the Dáil is suspended until 6.00pm.