Newly nominated Taoiseach Mícheál Martin vows to 'reject the sterile politics of the extremes'

Mícheál Martin has officially been nominated as Taoiseach this Thursday afternoon following chaotic scenes in the Dáil on Wednesday. 

The Dáil vote saw 95 in favour of the Fianna Fáil leader, with 76 against. Martin will now travel to Áras an Uachtaráin to receive his Seal of Office from President Michael D. Higgins.

The nomination was due to take place on Wednesday but was delayed by the suspension of the Dáil due to uproar in the chamber surrounding the allocation of opposition speaking time to independent TDs who are part of the new government coalition. 

The nomination of Mícheál Martin comes as no surprise, yet it was interesting to see how opposition parties would respond as the Dáil resumed on Thursday morning. 

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Speaking in the Dáil following his nomination, the newest Taoiseach said: "I would like to thank all the deputies who supported me. From my own party Fianna Fáil, from the Fine Gael Party and from the Regional Independent Group, all of whom negotiated in an upfront and honest manner."

He added: "It is a sad development in many parliaments in the world that they have become more angry and divisive.  They 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."

The Fianna Fáil leader also thanked his family and his wife Mary in particular, saying: "No position I have held, and nothing I have achieved would have been possible without her."

Just days after the inauguration of Donald Trump as President of the United States, Martin said: "Our relationship of kinship with the United States is older than our state.  It has endured because we have continued to renew bonds of respect and cooperation. 

"We are not naive about the realities of change, but equally the Ireland-America relationship is one which benefits us both and it will emerge strongly no matter what."

In relation to the changing atmosphere of politics in Ireland and across the globe, Martin said: "In all of this, the government I will lead will reject the sterile politics of the extremes. The empty gestures of those who want to impose inflexible ideologies when addressing issues which are as complex and diverse as our people.

"Mine will be a government which seeks to work in a spirit of practical republicanism."

The next steps for the new Taoiseach is to return to Government Buildings on Thursday afternoon where he will hold meetings with potential new ministers and decide who will make up the new Cabinet.