Putting partisanship aside and the country first is way ahead

Pleasing all the people all the time is a nonstarter to all but the naive. Yet new Taoiseach Simon Harris’s pledge to “work every day to improve the lives of all” came about as close as you might dare in these sceptical times without straining credibility. His vow to set about the myriad daunting tasks he must now tackle with “energy” and “empathy” speaks to a need to establish trust and connection.

Most politicians recognise you do not escape the responsibilities of tomorrow by evading them today.

And lest there be any doubt, Sinn Féin was on hand to dash what notions he might have had about ushering in a brilliant new dawn.

Party leader Mary Lou McDonald noted this was the third time the Government had rearranged the deckchairs to deliver a new taoiseach.

She was equally unimpressed with his “Hans Christian Andersen” presentation of the Coalition’s record.

Colleague Pearse Doherty was also scathing. How could he have the gall to commit to achieving in 11 months what his party had failed to do over the past 13 years?

It was a fair question.

He seemed to be embracing a view taken by US economist Milton Friedman that most of the energy of political work is devoted to correcting the effects of mismanagement of government. In any event, Mr Harris was left under no illusions, but the time for walking the walk has come.

The Taoiseach had attempted a reaching-out. He recalled how Ireland’s history was a story of belief in each other and of hope, the light of which we will need as we struggle to move forward.

He further revisited the early pages of our history in Dáil Éireann. Since 1919, we have shown we can work together, just as Leo Varadkar had noted earlier that we have over 100 years of democracy to be proud of.

People can and should expect more, Mr Harris said. Rising above partisanship and putting the country first during difficulties has always paid off.

Fine Gael will face their judgment day with voters on key issues, especially on housing, in due course.

But to obliterate their entire record in government is to be blinkered. The Taoiseach had the backing of 89 TDs, so to suggest there is something undemocratic in his appointment is mischievous.

Sinn Féin too will have a chance to go before the people. It also must challenge the Government at every turn, and its mandate too must be recognised.

Yet finding common ground sometimes must not become utterly alien. The opposite to creativity is cynicism, after all.

Politics must work for everyone. Whichever way the cards fall in the next Dáil, the obligation to form a government will be inescapable.

The perception that negativity has been so hardwired into Leinster House that it is dimming its power must also be dealt with.

We face far too many obstacles collectively to be continually holding each other back.