Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

If the Minister googles our alternative budget, he will find it online. He should not deflect from the reality or the real issue like he did when he abandoned those who are seeing massive increases in mortgage interest and the victims of the mica scandal, who came to this House and whom I know. I have sat in their homes and have seen the cracks in the walls. I have seen the water running down into open plugs and sockets. I know these people feel abandoned by the Government. Worse, they now feel the Government is now going to make it harder for them to rebuild their own homes. The Society of Chartered Surveyors of Ireland, not Sinn Féin, said €1,200 will be the price increase on an ordinary home given what the Minister is planning. The Construction Industry Federation has told us this is wrong. Barra Roantree from the Economic and Social Research Institute, ESRI, has said this is a wrong decision. It is not just Sinn Féin that is saying it. The Minister can talk about honesty and dishonesty all he wants but he should listen to the experts, who are telling him the wrong decision has been made. The Minister asks what the alternatives are. I put it to him, and will put it to him when we deal with the banks Bill, that he should not be cutting the levy on banks, as he did last year. He has cut it by nearly €80 million, which is twice as much as he would get from actually charging homeowners to rebuild their own homes.

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