I abstained from the vote for Taoiseach today, I did so after spending 70 days trying to ensure that many of the issues and problems that are facing the people of Kerry and all of Rural Ireland were going to be addressed in the programme for Government.
I believe that the final document is not perfect but I did succeed in making sure that many of the issues which are of concern to the people of Kerry and all of Rural Ireland are to be dealt with if the new Government implements the programme in full as they have promised.
To have voted today would have meant voting against all the work that was put into the programme.
I will continue to pursue Government to address the problems that we have in Rural Ireland, as the last Government was totally Anti-Rural. I am glad that there will be a new Ministry for Regional Development and Rural Affairs to finally address the imbalance between our centres of population and rural Ireland. 
