Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

First, I want to contest the Deputy’s central thesis that Ireland is some kind of a basket case. That is not the case. He spoke of how we talk about the story of economic success. That is a real story. Some 2.6 million people at work is not a fantasy. They are real people, they include the Deputy’s constituents and they are all over the country. Unemployment is less than 4% at this point in time. The economy is continuing to grow and is among the fastest-growing economies over the last number of years in Europe. We have budget surpluses because we are managing the country’s finances well. That gives us policy options we can deliberate on over the weeks and months ahead.

The Deputy spoke about the real-life experiences of people. Those are what we are all here to try to improve. When I look at health, I see better outcomes. I see longer life expectancies.

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