Mick Barry (Cork North Central, Solidarity) | Oireachtas source

There are some things in life you do not really recover from. Will Smith was the "Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" and went on to star in some decent movies but he is probably not going to be remembered for any of that. Instead, he will probably be remembered as the guy who charged onto the stage at the Oscars ceremony and socked the presenter on the jaw in front of millions of people. Governments are a bit like people in that way. People do not pay too much attention when governments are sweating the small stuff. They tend to remember the big and dramatic moments. This Government has had several big dramatic moments. The one the Government will be most remembered for is its mishandling of the housing crisis. Now is its Will Smith moment, the sheer unadulterated fecking madness of ending this eviction ban.

Of course, this Government was always on the side of the landlords and the rich. It was never on the side of renters, working people or the young. I would have voted no confidence last year, last month and last week. I will be voting no confidence today. Evict this Government, not the renters.

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