Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I am very disappointed with the Taoiseach's answer. The social cohesion of communities and our society is under threat, not least because of the austerity policies pursued by his Government.

In this Republic, there are disadvantaged people who never benefited from the Celtic tiger. We have heard reports of what is happening in St. Patrick's detention centre. There are people in rural and urban areas who are totally impoverished. Recently, we heard that 10% of people, including children, are subject to food poverty. This is a mark of our Republic. However, there is now a new shift because, according to the newspapers and what one hears in constituency offices, some of those who never saw themselves as economically vulnerable and who never did anything but pay their taxes, invest in their families and try to buy their homes cannot even put food on the table every day. They certainly cannot pay their mortgages.

There are social consequences associated with choices. I have four propositions for the Taoiseach that would deal with these issues. The Government is very clear when it is dealing with the small people. It has no problem cutting home help hours or the carer's allowance, but when it comes to dealing with the big people, the golden circle and big bankers, there is much convoluted verbiage. Will the Taoiseach not just make a commitment now to implement any of my four propositions? He should introduce legislation to cap mortgage interest rates, ensure Ulster Bank passes on the additional mortgage interest relief, deal with the relevant issues through the insolvency Bill, which gives a veto, and commit that those in negative equity will not be subject to the property tax.

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