Mattie McGrath (Tipperary South, Independent) | Oireachtas source

Will I get some time back for the interruption? Instead of promised change and new politics, a reduction in quangos and a five-point plan, all we received were broken promises.

It is the same old politics, the same quangos with a few new ones and a Government that has the nerve to award itself an A grade for a job well done. We have a raft of extra taxes, less money in people's pockets and threats by Revenue to small businesses while giant multinationals walk away scot free. Women on maternity leave have been taxed more, carers have been targeted and people in bankruptcy or negative equity are told to live on €20 per week. All of these have one aspect in common. They point to an arrogant and out-of-touch Government in which the people can no longer have any faith.

Given the shameful legacy of broken promises at the Government's half-way point, why should anyone believe a word that comes out of the Taoiseach's mouth? How can citizens have any trust that their lives, job prospects and education or health needs will be in a stronger position at the end of the Government's term than they were before it? Does the Taoiseach not accept that he has failed to make any meaningful impact on the ordinary daily lives of most people? Can he at least be honest about that?

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