Sinn Féin President Mary Lou McDonald TD, speaking as the Sinn Féin new team arrived at Leinster House this morning, said that the “the eyes of the people are on Leinster House today; the overwhelming majority of people voted for change, they voted for a new government and that is what they expect to be delivered.”

Ms. McDonald said:

“The eyes of the people are on Leinster House today. 

“The overwhelming majority of people voted for change, they voted for a new government and that is what they expect to be delivered.

“They want a government that will build homes, cut rents and freeze them, reduce the pension age to 65, give workers and families a break and that will advance Irish Unity.

“There is a clear choice facing all of those elected to the Dáil.

“That choice is between a Government for Change, or a grand coalition of Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael.

“I will be standing for the position of Taoiseach today because I want to stand up for all of those who voted for real change and I want to deliver for all those that voted for change.

“I want to congratulate all of our TDs on their election, particularly our seventeen new TDs and their families on what is a very important day for them.

“We are going in there to represent the hopes of over half a million people who voted for our party and the hundreds of thousands of others who voted for change.”