Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I, too, support the motion. The fact is that ordinary people cannot afford to heat their houses, live in them and put children in childcare or in school. They are to the pin of their collars. I asked last week if the Government wants to starve them out and for them to die in the ditches. It is shocking. The red carpet was rolled out for the banks with the bailout. Now the red carpet is out for institutional investors that can buy streets and housing estates while we persecute our own people. Our duty in here as Teachtaí Dála, messengers of the people, is to represent the people and to speak up for them. The Government has lost sight of the ordinary people. It does not seem to care about them, and it does not seem to understand anybody.

I thank the staff in my office and in all offices that are overrun with people coming in with all kinds of issues. The HAP was a disaster. We now have billions spent on HAP and we have no houses. It was stupid policy, yet we continue with it.

Spending power is way down. This is the sixth most expensive country in Europe. How come Sweden could bring down the price of food to 2018 levels, yet we cannot do anything? As I stated last week, it is €1.70 for a litre of petrol, a euro of which goes on taxes. This is shocking.

We introduced a motion on carbon taxes, which I proposed, and nine other Independents voted for it, as did Sinn Féin. We cannot have it both ways. We are going to have another carbon tax increase coming up. People just cannot afford to live - ordinary hardworking, decent people. There are no services in rural Ireland. It was laughable last week to hear about the 20% reduction in public transport fares. That is lovely for the people who have the Luas and DART, but what about the people out in the country? What about the people who use the Ring a Link service and other services in rural Ireland? I support the motion, but I am aghast at what is going on.

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