Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The good news is even better than the Minister alludes to because not alone are we in a relatively strong position as an economy, as he brags, but in fact it is projected that the Government will take in €5.6 billion more in tax revenues than projected on budget day. The Minister talked about clarity but I ask him to allow me to give him clarity as he brags about the economic position and how well he has managed the public finances. As we meet today, in households across this country, getting a child back to school in September is now a household crisis. How is that Minister? These are the facts on the ground. School books lists started to arrive today in many households. The outlook for those families who work very hard is not relatively positive. In fact, for many of them, it is terrifying. I am asking the Minister, very simply, that in his position as a Minister of this Government how he will respond now, react now and support those families now and not in October. That is the net point.

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