Richard O'Donoghue (Limerick County, Independent) | Oireachtas source

The public view at the moment is that we are going downhill at 100 mph while the Taoiseach is driving the bus. The public sees the Tánaiste as trying to make the bus skid and the Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan, asleep in the back. That is what the public is looking at.

I spoke already about spin and the rewards that were put out for Sinn Féin Deputies. Sinn Féin is only here to dissolve this Government. People are suffering and we need one voice to help the people in this country. Sinn Féin can spin all it likes but all it is doing is damaging this country and stopping it from getting back to where it needs to be to help the people. They go out with their food parcels and take pictures; that is what they do and they have the money to put that out in the media and spin. Deputy McDonald was in RTÉ the other day when this House came to a stop. She was in RTÉ before the House stopped sitting in order to be on the television. Sinn Féin is negative but we want to be positive. We want to work, go forward and represent the people of this country. We want to slow this bus down so that we can get around the bend and keep everyone safe. The Government is on the bus and leading the country.

See this speech in context