Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent) | Oireachtas source

The Tánaiste is completely out of touch with reality regarding the hardship people are facing. The ESRI report published today is shocking and finds that people could be paying more than €2,000 extra. What about the squeezed middle, particularly those with mortgages to pay, given the predicted increases in interest rates? The average mortgage interest rate in the eurozone is 1.46% while in Ireland it is 3.64%. What is wrong here? That rate is going to increase. The banks are exiting even though we bailed them out. The public had to take the pain there but the banks are getting away scot-free. They are giving no rest or breathing space to hard workers who want to have their own homes and pay for them. People have had no problem doing that but they need a break here. They need some kind of parity with our so-called great friends in the EU that ye all talk about. Everything is twice as dear or more than twice as dear here. Why is this happening in Ireland?

See this speech in context