Speech by Josepha Madigan TD re Nomination of Taoiseach

Go raibh maith agat Ceann Comhairle.

The office of Taoiseach has been occupied by many great men. Today, the baton is passing from one of these great men to another.

I am privileged to be following Enda Kenny in seconding Leo Varadkar’s nomination for the position of Taoiseach.

These great men were men of their time. Leo Varadkar is of his time. He is a leader for the Ireland of today. Open. Decent. Compassionate.

I was first elected sixteen months ago to represent the constituency of Dublin Rathdown and was fortunate to participate in the government formation talks last year. There I saw, up close, Deputy Leo Varadkar’s leadership skills. He is a person of great qualities. Honest, genuine and decisive with a first class intellect. But most of all, he is courageous.

A famous man once remarked:
“Courage is rightly esteemed the first of human qualities. It is the quality which guarantees all others.”

So far in your life, Deputy Varadkar, you have shown great courage and achieved so much. You will need every ounce of that courage to provide the leadership that is required for this country over the coming years. There will be many challenges ahead but I am confident that you are the best person and are best placed to meet these challenges. There is so much we can be proud of yet there is always more to be improved upon. I believe, under your leadership, we can take this country forward to a place of continued growth and increased revival.

You are sensitive to the needs and wants of all. You are dedicated to the public interest. You are an honest man. I know that you will not be found wanting. You have all the characteristics and the energy to succeed, energy that will be needed every day you occupy the office of Taoiseach.

I also know that you will do everything to make sure that you leave this country a better place for us and for our children, and that you will do so not just for the few but for the many. You have the talent to lead the country. You have the ambition for this nation and all of her people. For this beloved country of ours, you are the right person, for the right time.

Ceann Comhairle, Ireland stands to gain from the election of Deputy Leo Varadkar as Taoiseach. That is why I am honoured to second his nomination.