Trevor Sargent (Dublin North, Green Party)

The answer would be to tell me when the legislation is to be published and I ask him that. If the Taoiseach wants to give me a serious answer, I want to hear it. Fianna Fáil has been in Government for 20 years, apart from a short respite, and life continues to be unbearable for many of the people the Taoiseach claims to represent.

When it comes to building land, following rezoning in Shankill the value of land rose from €2 million to €200 million. If that had been done in accordance with the Kenny report, the land could have been acquired for €2.5 million. The local authorities must go cap in hand to the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Deputy Roche, for funds to acquire lands for housing at open market prices.

Why has the Taoiseach continued to allow the obscene profiteering, rack-renting, management company extortion and the cruel indebtedness by which people, even those with third level qualifications and good jobs who he states are doing quite well, are affected? Why has he continued to favour many people who, perhaps by coincidence, are his key supporters in the tent at the Galway Races? If, today, 4 July, I may paraphrase Lyndon Johnson, the Taoiseach's interpretation of the common good so far has depended on whether he is inside or outside that tent. As an act of good faith, perhaps when he gives me his answer he might add that he will donate the proceeds of his party's tent at the Galway Races to the Society of St. Vincent de Paul or the carers of whom Deputy Rabbitte spoke, to compensate not just for the wasting of €60 million on e-voting but also his lack of action in this area.

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