Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The Tánaiste may think this Government is dynamic in responding to the needs of citizens out there. Let me say this, however. When the Tánaiste steps outside the bubble of Leinster House, stops the backslapping and hooraying and all the rest in terms of his own colleagues, and talks to the ordinary people out there, they will tell him that tens of thousands of them are struggling to get by. We have seen survey after survey and report after report telling us how difficult it is for people. After everything the Tánaiste just talked about, one in three families in this State are still in energy poverty and struggling to make ends meet. Organisations far beyond Sinn Féin such as the Central Bank of Ireland, the budget advisory watchdog and the ESRI are all saying the Government has the capacity to do more and do it now. However, the Government refuses. The clear message from Government as it heads off into the recess for the next eight weeks and with a budget 12 weeks away is that people are on their own for the next while.

There are no further interventions. That is a devastating message for families. It is a crucifying message because many of them are struggling to pay the bills at the end of the week. What message does the Tánaiste have for that cohort of individuals, the many thousands who are being abandoned as the Government goes into the summer recess?

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