Ruth Coppinger (Dublin West, Socialist Party) | Oireachtas source

-----and eight separate cuts to lone parents, 90% of whom are women and who constitute the biggest group in poverty in society already. Along the way, the Tánaiste has used the most Tory style language of welfare dependency, which was absolutely despicable and callous beyond belief. Despite letters and protestations from many women, she had no compassion. She cut the back to school allowance, clothing and footwear allowance, fuel allowance, maternity pay and, of course, rent allowance - a key facet of the Tánaiste's Department.

The manner in which she has presided over a housing and rents emergency really puts her position up for a vote of no confidence. Cutting rent supplement was bad enough as it meant she was putting the most vulnerable in the position of becoming homeless. More than that, how does a Labour Party leader stand over 28 council houses getting built in the first three quarters of 2015? How does the Tánaiste justify that? Surely the Labour Party is at least meant to stand for something like that.

One of the Tánaiste's most despicable acts in her role as leader of the Labour Party and Tánaiste was the events in Jobstown, where she has criminalised a whole working class community. This Friday, men and women will go to court because of the Tánaiste bringing into play gardaí, who have had nothing else to do for the past year. Those men and women will face the court for daring to protest against her austerity measures. I have often heard the Tánaiste say she has no role in the police prosecuting this. I have never once heard her ask for the charges to be called off. She has that chance tonight as she has had for the past year or so.

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