Micheal Martin formally becomes Taoiseach
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Micheal Martin has formally become Taoiseach during a ceremony with the Irish president, Michael D Higgins. Earlier, Mr Martin said he was “thankful” to his supporters after he received the backing of the Irish parliament to be nominated as the country’s next premier.
Parliamentarians voted 95 to 76 in support of the nomination of the Fianna Fail leader, the day after a chaotic row disrupted the process and resulted in the suspension of the Dail. Speaking after he was nominated for the role, Mr Martin said: “It is a profound honour to be nominated to serve as head of the government in a free, democratic and diverse republic.
“Today, I am deeply conscious of the democratic tradition which our country has developed over more than a century. “We should never take for granted the freedoms and opportunities secured for us by the generations who sat here before us, and by the men and women who fought and campaigned for the establishment of Dail Eireann.
“Our democracy has remained strong through some of the gravest challenges of a turbulent century. “We have continued to have free debate and free elections. We have never wavered in our commitment to the peaceful resolution of disputes. “The most powerful thing about the mandate which each of us holds is that it is based on the support of our families, our supporters, in most cases our parties, and above all our communities.
