Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

They are the people for whom write-offs, tax breaks and even tax amnesties are always possible. The refusal by the Minister for Finance to have the very serious issues surrounding Siteserv and all IBRC transactions, including NAMA transactions, independently investigated by a commission of investigation makes nonsense of any claims he makes to political reform. The truth is that he has no interest in reform. He is committed to the status quo and to business as usual. Labour and Fine Gael are parties entrenched in defence of the status quo. That is why for the past four years they have implemented Fianna Fáil style punishment on working people. That is why they absolutely refuse to confront the rampant cronyism that still plagues our political system. If the Government believes it is a reforming one, it is deluded. Over the last four years, the Government has reinforced the strongly held view across Irish society that there are two classes of citizens, the insiders and the rest. There are the ones who are to be protected and enriched and the rest; the haves and the have nots. It is hardly the stuff of the democratic revolution the Government promised.

Today was the Government's opportunity to spell out and commit to a fair recovery. It should have abolished water charges. It should have abolished the tax on the family home. It did neither. It missed the chance to put €800 million back into the pockets of families to give real and immediate relief to low and middle income people across the country. The Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Deputy Brendan Howlin, may throw his eyes to heaven, but that is the reality.

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