Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The Taoiseach says he is waiting until all the information is available. We know that half a million people are unemployed and that there are thousands and thousands of families in mortgage distress. We know that every single week 1,700 citizens, mostly young people, leave this State. We know that people have had their child benefit cut and people who are carers have had their benefits cut. We know there is a dreadful social consequence to the decisions that the Taoiseach is taking. Either the economy serves the people - and his Government and its Labour Party component have the opportunity to see this happens - or we simply have the people working as slaves to serve the elites who benefit most from the types of policy his Government is implementing. The information is there and I was simply affording the Taoiseach the opportunity to send a very clear signal that he will move away from this policy of austerity, which is not working, in the interests of ordinary citizens or lower- and middle-income families. There is no evidence to suggest otherwise; on the contrary, people are suffering more and more. Fianna Fáil created the mess - that is certain - but the Taoiseach's Government has perpetuated the mess.

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