Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I welcomed the Taoiseach's visit last night to Dublin’s north inner city where he met with some of the community and listened to what they had to say. I hope he understands that this was just the first chapter in the consultation that needs to happen between the Government and the people there. He says that those who spoke at the meeting were inspirational and he is right. They are. In fairness, the least the Taoiseach could have done was to visit them. We know that the problems faced by the inner city are not accidental and the Taoiseach must know that too. A lack of opportunity, decent services, homes and decent work are all a direct result of decades of neglect and bad government, including by the Taoiseach’s own Government over the last five years. The Taoiseach has listened and now he must act. The needs are clear. Local people must be front and centre in drafting the terms of reference for the task force and they must be part of it. Teachta McDonnell and others are working with the community to bring forward an integrated plan for the regeneration of the north inner city.

It is also important to recognise that the problems there are not unique. There are countless other communities in the State and across the island that face the same issues of social deprivation, economic disadvantage and the lack of opportunity. If the Taoiseach is to deliver for these citizens and to deliver on the rhetoric of last night, his starting point must be the reality that the Government is not geared to eradicating social and economic disadvantage. Fine Gael is not geared towards ending inequality and poverty. It is their policies and the policies of Fianna Fáil which have created a deeply unequal society.

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