Dia dhiabh, A chairde, My dear friends, It is the honour of my life to lead this great party, our great party, Fine Gael.

On another day in March – it’s 13 years ago now – I nervously got to my feet in Dáil Éireann and delivered my maiden speech. And on that day, I was honoured to nominate Enda Kenny as Taoiseach. Back then, I could never have imagined standing here today as the new leader of Fine Gael. Never. Thank you for your trust. I promise that I will repay that trust with hard work. With blood, sweat and tears – day in and day out. With responsibility, with humility and with civility. 13 years ago, I quoted from the letter George Bernard Shaw sent to Michael Collins’ sister Hannie upon the death of her beloved brother. “It is time to hang out our brightest colours and move forward as a nation.” I chose those words because those were dark days; days when hope was needed more than ever. Hope is after all one of Fine Gael’s fundamental values and one of the basics we must never lose sight of as we set about our work. But I must begin by paying tribute to Leo Varadkar for his leadership of our party and our country. Leo is no stranger to dark days when hope and leadership were needed, and he delivered. Whether it was the existential threats of Brexit and Covid or his contribution to key moments of social change in this country, I believe his legacy is truly significant. Since 2011 when Enda brought hope to a battered country, we have all soldiered together to rebuild Ireland’s economy and reputation so that enterprise and opportunity could flourish once again. And, thank God, it is flourishing. Sinn Féin can’t bear to look back over what Fine Gael has achieved since pulling our economy back from the brink. Always seeking to denigrate our service in Government by denying reality. They can’t handle the truth. We will not stand for that. I remember the Ireland where 15% of people were unemployed and I remember the incredulity when Richard Bruton said he would create100,000 new jobs. Richard delivered. I remember when tourism was on the floor and people scoffed when Enda Kenny launched the Gathering to help rejuvenate the economy. Enda and Leo delivered. I remember people coming into my clinics, terrified about their mortgage arrears, when the spectre of mass repossessions was very real but Fine Gael and Michael Noonan worked might and main to ensure that didn’t happen. We delivered. Just look at all that has been achieved since then together: From unemployment to full employment. From a budget deficit to a budget surplus. A more equal Ireland. Progress on affordable childcare and universal health care. You know, Michael Noonan once told me challenges never go away; they just change. There will always be challenges but they can always be met if we cleave to those fundamental values which have served this nation well. These are the Fine Gael values. Hope. Enterprise. Equality of Opportunity. Integrity. Security. I have been in this party since I was 15 years old and those values meant and mean everything to me. I believe in public service and the power of politics to make a difference and to make people’s lives better. In fact, that is how I came to be involved in politics in the first place. I grew up with parents who worked hard and raised their children to believe in the rewards of working hard. Ordinary people, like families all over the country, who inspire their children every day. My mother used to tell us that success is about liking what you do. My parents gave up so much and worked so hard for us and today I thank them for that. I want to take this moment to also thank my incredibly supportive – and extraordinarily patient – wife, Caoimhe, and our wonderful children, Saoirse and Cillian. I appreciate I’m a very lucky man in every way. When I was eight, my little brother, Adam, was born and my parents quickly realised he was a little bit different. As time went on and we realised Adam was autistic, although much less was known about autism at the time, I grew increasingly frustrated at the dearth of information and the absence of support for families like ours. This led me to campaign, to advocate and ultimately to politics… and Fine Gael. That experience is what keeps me grounded, it underpins my belief in the need for politics, for good Government, and for Government to always be about delivering for the people. Ladies and gentlemen, friends and colleagues, today as we gather in Athlone, this is a moment for Fine Gael to reset. It is a moment for Fine Gael to reconnect. It is a moment for Fine Gael to renew our commitment to the people. There is a helluva lot to get done in the time ahead. But let me say this: Under my leader