Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The Deputy has a lot of talk and her party colleagues talk a lot, but what is absent, in my view, is any coherent plan in terms of employment, affordability or housing. They talk a lot about those things but, in my view, much of it is without substance. If one reads the ESRI report comprehensively, it uses the phrase "extraordinary fiscal interventions" in reference to the Government's actions, which Deputy McDonald just condemns, attacks and undermines. She has done so from the very beginning, in a very unrealistic way, and she continues to do so.

As I said, €40 million provided in July alone for 2,500 units was very quick off the mark. Deputy McDonald could not acknowledge that and had to come out and condemn it because that is her stock-in-trade. She will condemn anything that emanates from Government whether it is positive or not. That is the Sinn Féin approach, followed by seeking to undermine Ministers one by one. That is what the Deputy's party does. Alternatively, what the Government is doing is of real substance in terms of economic interventions from July onwards, not just in terms of the fiscal interventions but also in terms of the capital programme in July, which was very comprehensive and substantial and will underpin the construction sector into the future, from apprenticeships and right across the sector. In terms of social and affordable housing, we are committed to delivering it. Historically, we did it before as a party and we are committed now to delivering social and affordable housing. That will be clear both in the budget and in the time ahead.

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