Ruairi Ó Murchú (Louth, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The budget is literally how we set in train how we pay for everything and I suppose it sets the general level of intent in how we order society. I accept there are certain constraints in how we operate. For example, we are still dealing with the outworkings of a pandemic and we do not exactly know where that will lead in future. That is accepted. The State had to pay a huge amount to provide necessary supports, and that was about keeping society ticking over and ensuring we had something at the tail end of this. That was a given.

We are nonetheless in the middle of an energy crisis. I accept the Government cannot sort out every problem and that some elements of the energy crisis arise from the actions of the Russian President, Vladimir Putin, for example. I know that when we speak about the budget, we are not, to a degree, talking about carbon taxes because they have already been set in train. The fact is that the increases at this point are just heaping pain on top of pain.

There are other matters over which we have not had the control we would have liked. These include Brexit and supply chain issues. Hauliers are under pressure and are affected by increased carbon taxes and other measures. VAT levels are being looked at across Europe and we must make a determination in that regard. Ultimately, we must be able to keep the show on the road and look after our people.

It goes without saying that housing is a matter that is critical to the people out there. Perhaps we can deal with one part of it. I could state that there are insufficient proposals, money or intent in dealing with housing supply. This is about affordable cost rental and mortgages, as well as council houses. There is a substantial number of people in the rental sector and we know the difficulties they are experiencing. People pay between €1,000 and €1,800 for a regular house anywhere in Dundalk. These are absolutely crazy figures and we have done nothing for the people in those positions. Even if people can pay their rent, I do not know how they can put together a deposit to buy a property. It is hard to see.

We are literally dealing with a budget that has failed to do the business for our people. We had representatives of the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation, INMO, outside and we are dealing with a major issue with retention of staff. We still have not dealt with the pay of student nurses and midwives. There are huge waiting lists for hospital procedures and we have not put in the required capacity to deliver health services. The intent that should have been there is absent and this budget is a continuity of absolute failure. It is not good enough and the people out there are absolutely fed up. They will not stand for this any more.

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