The world awoke this morning to learn that Donald Trump had been elected to be President of the United States of America. Last year the Taoiseach said that when he got to meet Donald Trump face to face, he would tell him that he had racist views and that he was a racist. When does he think that will happen? From what I am hearing today, the leaders of the three biggest parties in this Parliament are sending congratulations to Donald Trump when all three of them raised huge problems with things he said in the very recent past. Speaking on radio, former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern told us we should have a love-in with a man who was a racist, a misogynist, a homophobe and many other things besides. Rather than sending congratulations to Donald Trump, this Parliament and the people of this country would prefer if we expressed sympathy and support for every single person of colour, every immigrant, every LGBT person, every Muslim and, of course, every woman in America who is in danger of Donald Trump acting out some of his policies.

May we have order for Deputy Ruth Coppinger, please?

Does the Taoiseach agree that the best support we can give is to people to ensure he does not act out on them? He has now been elected and will not change suddenly. More in-depth analysis will obviously take place when the results are fully analysed.

It speak volumes about the neo-liberal policies that in the past few years have alienated many millions of people in America which is the richest country in the world. These policies are quite similar to those of the Taoiseach in that the barons on Wall Street were bailed out and rescued and are now enjoying the fruits of the recovery in America. The 20 richest people in America possess the same wealth as the bottom half of American society. Under President Obama's Democrats administration, the level of income equality has actually grown four times faster than under President George W. Bush. Is it not a totally dysfunctional capitalist, electoral and economic system that puts a choice before the American people of either electing a billionaire developer or a creature of Wall Street? The inequality of which I spoke could never be tapped into by a candidate like Hillary Clinton who represents Walmart with its food banks for its own workers, who supports fracking, who refused to stand with the indigenous people at Standing Rock and who rejoiced publicly when bombs were dropped on Libya and Pakistan. Perhaps the Taoiseach might tell us when he will be true to what he said about Donald Trump before the election.

The people of the United States have made a democratic decision. By their votes at the ballot box, by the popular vote and the college vote, they chose to elect Donald Trump to be President. I recall a comment I made in the Dáil when I believe I was asked by Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett if I would agree that comments made in the heat of battle in a primary by the President-elect before he was nominated as a candidate were racists and dangerous and I said "Yes." I listened very carefully to the President-elect this morning and the first thing he said was that it was time to heal wounds, build partnerships and work constructively with all the people of the United States and with every other country that wanted to work with him. I have a difference of opinion with Deputy Ruth Coppinger, but in the democratic sense I was happy to congratulate her when she was returned to this House in a democracy that allowed her to say what she has just said. That is absolutely her right.

I am sure the Taoiseach was delighted.

I do not have any problem with that.

It adds to the spice of life.

All of the good stuff, as the Deputy calls it, does not come from that side of the House only. Deputy Tony McLoughlin is present. Single-handedly he has I think put an end to fracking in the State for quite a long time. Perhaps Deputy Ruth Coppinger might congratulate him.

We started that one. Where is the Bill?

The Taoiseach has had a fracking moment.

I am very happy that the Government will work very closely with the new administration when it is appointed by the President-elect on the issues to which I pointed for Deputy Gerry Adams, including his valid question about the peace process and Northern Ireland, as well as on the undocumented Irish in the United States, immigration and many other social, political and economic issues, including job opportunities, that arise between Ireland and the United States. I will be happy to deal with the President-elect in a very constructive way, as he has announced to the world that his administration will work to heal wounds in America and to have the American people unite in their country's development and that he wants to form partnerships with like-minded countries to work in the interests of providing opportunities for everybody.

It has become clear from the election that there is a burning need to break the two-party system in the United States which clearly offers no alternative for the millions of Americans who suffered in the recession. Does the Taoiseach agree that it would have been much better if the anger and discontent that are clearly evident in the election result were reflected not in the election of a right-wing demagogue and populist such as Donald Trump but in someone like Bernie Sanders who, when he had been stopped and the Democrat primaries were rigged, should have gone independent and we might have had a different result today? I want to say something about with whom we should be building bridges in America. It is not Donald Trump who has not changed and will not change. We should be building bridges with those who are now potentially in danger of attack following his election to protect them from the abuse, racism and misogyny he has legitimised. We need to send a message of support to all of them, but we also need urgently to build a powerful anti-establishment alternative to cut across the hatred and division Donald Trump represents, a new anti-establishment alternative that will not be tied to the Democratic Party, a party that is pro-corporate and pro-war, but that will be a real party for the 99%.

I hope the people will organise in the US to stop Trump should he take action.

This is the democratic decision of the US people who voted at the ballot box in the election. They have chosen President-elect Trump to be their 45th President. There is no point in assessing what might have been. They have spoken very clearly. They have given him the popular vote by a clear majority and the collegiate vote by a clear majority, so there is no point in wondering what might be a different result.

As we are aware, democracy often throws up unexpected results, such as Brexit. All of the pundits, commentators, polls and indicators stated the result would not be as has turned out, and the assumption by the vast majority of people was that Hillary Clinton would be elected as President. This is not now the case. Democracy requires that responsibility brings realism. I am sure the President-elect, following through on his own words, will work with his new Administration to do the rebuilding, the forming of partnerships and the creating of opportunities he has spoken about not just in the US but throughout the world. As I have stated in the House previously, the decision today is of global consequence and the Government for one, together with Members of the House, will work with the Administration in the closest way we can.