Terence Flanagan (Dublin North East, Fine Gael)

——while 310,000 homes lie vacant. If we are to regain competitiveness and provide the world-class infrastructure and public services the people deserve, continued investment is essential. Our chronic traffic gridlock is simply one example of how the infrastructure deficit both curtails competitiveness and has a negative impact, which is often severe, on the quality of people's lives.

Higher hospital and drugs charges will take another €50 million out of the pockets of families. As our health spokesperson has noted, the Minister for Health and Children has given up on the most vulnerable in society with her stealth taxes in accident and emergency units, hospital bed charges raised by 10% and the raising of the bar on drug refund schemes from €85 to €90 a month. Her stubborn refusal to increase the income threshold for medical cards, which currently stands at €184 per week for a single person, which is €13.80 lower than the social welfare payment to a single person, means people who have the misfortune to earn more than half the minimum wage will still be denied a medical card.

The Government's neglect of mental health and suicide prevention measures was perpetuated by its failure to include these vital issues in its budget day announcements. One in four people will suffer from some form of psychiatric illness in his or her lifetime. It is reported that 500 people take their own lives and 80,000 people attempt suicide or self-harm each year. These grim facts appear to have escaped the Government's attention as it outlined its spending plans for the year ahead.

What have we to show after the ten-year Celtic tiger? Have we got leading-edge infrastructure, a world-class health service or efficiency in the public sector? We have not. The Minister has blown a huge tax bonanza and we have nothing to show for it. I am not happy with the Finance Bill 2008.

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