Micheál stepping out and Leo stepping in again doesn't go far enough argues Laois TD who wants them out

Ireland needs a new Government not a new Taoiseach insists Sinn Féin TD for Laois / Offaly Brian Stanley.

That's the view of the General Election poll topper as Leo Varadkar resumes the role of Taoiseach after midnight December 16 when Fianna Fáil leader steps down and takes over as Tánaiste as part of a rotating agreement reached when the agreed to enter Government in 2020.

Dep Stanley said it change doesn't go far enough and compared the song which was a hit for Christy Moore and the Bards.

“We need a change of Government, not just a change of Taoiseach. What we are getting is similar to Lanigan’s Ball, with Michéal ‘stepping out and Leo stepping in again’. Just as they have done for a century, Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael are once again passing power between them. This cosy arrangement has delivered an even worse housing crisis and health crisis.

“We now have record rent prices, record homelessness figures, record house prices and record health waiting lists. The public and school dental scheme has collapsed in the Constituency and Children’s Disability Network Services (CDNT) are completely understaffed. Workers and families in Laois / Offaly are under huge financial pressure,’’ he said.

Dep Stanley said the formation of the Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael, Green Party coalition came despite a ground-breaking General Election in which people voted for real change.

"Workers and families are now struggling with the most serious cost of living crisis for 40 years and are enduring a real sense of worry and uncertainty. They need a government that will stand up for them and protect them from spiralling costs.

“We must fix housing and end rip-off rents, build a strong public health service that works for everyone, prioritise education, tackle the out-of-control cost of living, rebuild our public health service and ensure the state moves away from lip-service to taking a lead on climate change in a way that is fair and inclusive.’’

“Our country is full of talent and potential, and it shouldn’t be wasted by a Government whose overriding goal is to cling to power at any cost.

"So many people in Laois / Offaly and beyond want a change in direction and a fresh start. They should have been afforded the respect of choosing that future in an election. It's time for change,” he said.

If you can't remember Lanigan's Ball here's Christy Moore's version.

The Greens, Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael agreed a programme for Government in 2020 that will see them sharing power until 2025 baring a falling out.