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

First, on a personal level, of course, it is an achievement for each of the four Ministers. I cite, in particular, an Teachta Joe McHugh for his achievement today. When I break the dramatic news that we will not be supporting this motion, I do not wish them to take it personally because it is not personally intended.

Since the last general election we have been subjected to the political contortion that is confidence and supply between Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil. Now, on its conclusion after the recent budget, we are presented with a period of showboating on the part of An Taoiseach and the Fianna Fáil leader, Deputy Micheál Martin, to see who can hoodwink the other into renewing the deal first, reviewing the deal, or whatever one wishes to call it. The confidence and supply deal in 2016 was heralded as the beginning of new politics but, of course, it was anything but that. It has proven to be a scam, a political con job designed to allow Fianna Fáil to pretend to be in opposition despite propping up the Government, and which has allowed Fine Gael to operate without real accountability or sanction. It has been bad for politics, bad for citizens and bad for governance. It has given us an Administration that is inherently unstable and marked by uncertainty and by incoherence.

The very real issues and crises that face citizens and communities continue to grow worse day by day. We are at a defining point in our history as we face into the challenges of Brexit, as we discussed earlier. We have a housing and homelessness crisis that it is out of control. By any measure, Fine Gael's and Fianna Fáil's approach to tackling the housing crisis has failed abysmally. Rent and house prices are out of control. Tens of thousands languish on council housing waiting lists. Not a single affordable home to rent or to buy has been provided over the last three years.

An entire generation of young people in particular are locked out of any real prospect of homeownership ever. There are 10,000 homeless, 4,000 of whom are children, sleeping in emergency accommodation. This is the stuff of scandal. The Government has similarly failed to address the deepening crisis in our health service. Hospital waiting lists stand now at over 700,000 people. Last year alone, 100,000 people had to wait on trolleys in emergency departments. This morning, there were 542 people on trolleys in hospitals. This is hardly a record of success.

Many other challenges will be faced, including the challenge of affordable childcare and of decent work and wages. We need workable solutions to these challenges. We need clarity and stability. The Taoiseach tells us the latest drama around confidence and supply ought to conclude by Hallowe'en. Deputy Micheál Martin says it will drag on until Christmas. This is an extraordinary scenario from people who tell us stability is the goal.

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