New government must deal effectively with challenges ahead

‘Harsh words were spoken in the heat of electoral battle, but will be forgotten’

I’VE been involved in elections for more than 40 years, from the time my late uncle ran for the Dáil and through my own career as a TD, but I have never seen a campaign like this. Truly, this was an election like no other.

In other countries, angry people took to the streets to protest, sometimes sparking violent scenes, such as in Greece. By stark contrast the Irish public did not lose faith in the democratic process, despite being betrayed by the outgoing Fianna Fáil-led government. Instead, the people stuck by the democratic system, putting their trust in the ballot box. Now that they have done so, they must not be betrayed a second time.