Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein)

The universal social charge did come up on every doorstep. People were angry. We are articulating that anger tonight because it is wrong. People believed it was wrong. That has not changed. People still believe the new taxation is wrong because they were not given a choice. Every day they see fraudsters, gamblers, speculators and bankers being bailed out and they are still in the same situation.

Everyone in the Chamber knocked on doors. Did they promise more of the same? Not even Fianna Fáil promised more of the same. It said it would approach things differently. Everyone else in the Chamber said they were going to do things differently. I have not seen that happen yet. Neither has anyone else. People in this city who were poor are still poor. That is the reality. They are being told by the Government tonight that a review is on the way. People hanging off a financial cliff are being asked to hold on because a review is coming down the line. Children in this city are going to bed hungry but they are being told to hang on in there because a review is on the way. What is being said is that the Government knows that some of these things are a bit unfair but that it is going to change them.

What also came up on the doorsteps is that people believe politicians live in a parallel universe. From listening to some of the debate I say they are correct. We do live in a parallel universe. We are on a different salary. That is for sure. We are not being affected in the same way as ordinary people. That is what is wrong. We do not have a clue what is happening in many people's homes in terms of the universal social charge. It is all very well to talk about reviews when one has a lot of money in one's pocket or one's children are not going hungry. That is what has happened. We have sentenced people to debt. This motion is about commuting that debt. That is what we are asking people to do.

There are choices and alternatives which we put forward. It is not about bailing out bankers. It is about bailing out people who work for a living. The universal social charge is creating conditions whereby we are creating more and more working poor. That is what is happening right across this city and across the country. That is why people are angry. That is why I am angry. This is not my maiden speech but it is the first time I have raised my voice in this Chamber in a long time. What the Government proposes to continue with - review or no review - is more of the same. What the Government is talking about doing is bailing out crooks, fraudsters, speculators and gamblers, but no one is bailing out ordinary working people. That is what is wrong. We need to bring about change. Unguaranteed bondholders in Anglo Irish Bank were given €750 million by this State. That is a scandal. The Government did not have to do it, yet we introduce a new tax which is supposed to be burden sharing. Burden sharing my arse.

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