Given that the Government has promised it in another irresponsible and unfair tax cut targeting higher earners, it is scrambling for some leeway to fulfil commitments to its narrow sector of society.

The Government is one of the most divisive in the history of the State with regard to the two-tiered society it has created. Over the past years it is very clear that we have a Government of the haves against the have-nots, with a Government of private health against public health care and the Government of bank debt and bond debt against household debt. This is a Government of high-paid earners against low-paid earners and these are totally in line with the Government's approach to the next budget.

We should have leeway. Sinn Féin is the party of self-determination. We should have leeway with regards to improving our public services, abolishing regressive and unjust taxes and tackling homelessness. Over Christmas, the Dáil was inflamed by the need to tackle homelessness. In my county, the budget meant to build new houses has not arrived at the end of the first quarter of the year. The Government had no difficulty in undermining access to public services. People have bad access if they want to access public health services through the accident and emergency units because they must wait on trolleys. People also have problems with access to elective surgery-----

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