Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

As a Government, we acknowledge there is much to do. We acknowledge there is much progress that we need to make in the rest of our mandate. However, in putting forward the motion, we also make the case for what we have achieved and delivered during two years of unprecedented challenge.

Our country faced record levels of unemployment at a time when the world was grappling with a pandemic. Where are we now? We are now in a position where we have never had more people at work in our country than we have today. At the start of our mandate, we had to borrow huge amounts of money to put in place economic supports, which worked, saved our economy and created jobs. Where are we today? National finances are approaching balance, with health and resilience back in our national finances.

When the Government took up office, health services were confronted with a pandemic without precedent. Now, 800 more beds are being built and opened in our health services to help us provide the care we know our country needs. When this Government took up office, the construction sector closed as part of the measures needed to keep our country safe from a pandemic. Where are we now? We have 30,000 homes commenced which will provide roofs over the heads of families, renters and tenants who need and deserve the homes the Government is committed to delivering.

I listened very carefully to the Leader of the Opposition's speech. Rarely have I heard a speech that was so full of attacks and so lacking in content.

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