Kenny: Minority Government will be a great test of our democracy

The back-to-back success - a first for Mr Kenny's party - was achieved after weeks of negotiations secured a deal with decades-old adversaries in Fianna Fáil and a diverse groups of independents.

The Taoiseach has opposition support, albeit fragile and for only three years, on a select number of issues such as suspending and reviewing water bills and easing unprecedented housing and homelessness.

"If economic survival was the urgent priority of the last Government then using a strong economy to improve the lives, the quality of the lives of our people, must and will be the priority of the new Government and that fundamental principle will be the bedrock of our policy programme," Mr Kenny said.

Among the new reforms will be the appointment of a Minister for Housing with increased powers.

Health will also form key planks of policy while spending will run twice as fast as tax cuts.

In his victory speech in the Dáil Mr Kenny accepted very many people have not felt a revival in the economy in the six years since Ireland went bankrupt.

Enda Kenny elected Taoiseach on the fourth Dáil vote, 70 days after the General Electionhttps://t.co/GMwWV33KA0

— RTÉ News (@rtenews) May 6, 2016

He said his minority Government had been formed in "almost unprecedented circumstances" which created room for a new and inclusive democracy.

"Everyone will have the opportunity to play a constructive role as we work in partnership together to build a better Ireland," he said.

"It will be a great test of our democracy, of our character and indeed of this house, a test that I am convinced that we will pass."

The February 26 general election split the vote like never before and left the country locked in a political stalemate for 10 weeks.

Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil, the traditionally dominant parties who swapped power for generations and whose bitter enmity stems back to the Irish civil war, balked at pressure to form a "grand coalition".

Mr Kenny said the hung parliament thrown up by the election meant no party has a mandate to "instruct, force, direct or coerce" anyone else.

"We therefore must all work together in the best interests of all our people," he said.

Mr Kenny was re-elected Taoiseach by 59 votes to 49, largely with thanks to the abstention of Fianna Fáil.

Among the independents to support him were Katherine Zappone, a gay and women's rights campaigner, and Michael Lowry, a former Cabinet colleague.

Two factions of Independents - known as the Independent Alliance and the rural alliance - were then pulled in - but not without a few casualties.

Michael Fitzmaurice, a Roscommon Galway TD and former Turf Cutters and Contractors Association leader, was the most high profile, having been a vocal figure in negotiations over the last few weeks.

Following the vote, Mr Kenny receive his seal of office from President Michael D Higgins before formally announcing the new cabinet.

Attention is already being focused on how long the new minority government will last.

Under the arrangement, Fine Gael will have to rule and Fianna Fáil oppose without either of them undermining the other too much while the third biggest party, Sinn Fein, will be looking to steal more ground from their foes on all sides.

Mr Kenny said his new government had a plan for a more caring, fairer and more prosperous Ireland with a belief in the enormous potential of the Irish people and country.

"The new government will be driven by a firm belief that good politics can help to realise all of that potential in the interest of all our people all over the country," he said.

Despite giving Mr Kenny understated support, Fianna Fáil leader Micheal Martin attacked his minority Government.

"The damage of regressive and divisive policies in recent years has been significant," he said.

"The new government is not committed to the scale of comprehensive and urgent action which we believe is needed. In many areas the programme for government represents a repackaging of current policies and bland aspiration rather than a radical commitment to action.

"Policy on health remains as incoherent as ever and specific actions on most areas are limited. Pushing for movement on these areas will form our priority in every part of our work."

Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams said his party will be the real opposition over the term of the government.

"The joint Fine Gael-Fianna Fail programme is masterclass in waffle and bluster. No real ambition. No big ideas. No costings. Little real detail," he said.

"Never was so much negotiated for so long, for so little."