Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I am not sure what kind of response the Deputy wants there because he asked a whole load of questions and then answered them. Maybe I will just respond to the overall tenor of what the Deputy is saying.

First, the Government more than recognises the pressure that families and homes are under in terms of cost of living increases. We responded in last year's budget and, indeed, had another package at the early part of this year. In total, we committed €12 billion of public money to support vulnerable individuals through social protection supports and, indeed, households in terms of reducing their energy bills and so on. We also have a budget in three weeks' time where the Government will, again, prioritise cost of living pressures and respond to that in terms of once-off payments between now and the end of the year and, of course, ensuring that we spend money appropriately in a way that targets those who need it most next year. Whether that is housing, healthcare, disability, social protection, pensions or supporting people on fixed incomes, the Government has been focusing on all of those things for a number of months in preparation for the upcoming budget. The parameters for that budget were laid out in the summer economic statement by both finance Ministers, and by the Minister, Deputy Michael McGrath, in particular, and while some are criticising the Government for committing to spend too much money, the Deputy is criticising the Government for not spending enough.

In my view, a socialist government that the Deputy would like to be part of would be a disaster for this country, would result in increased unemployment, a collapse in business and enterprise activity and would reduce and fundamentally undermine the financial resources this country has to support the people the Deputy claims to protect and represent. I hope and am confident that people will be far too wise to believe the kind of false uncosted and unfundable promises that the Deputy proposes here this evening and that he raises on a weekly basis.

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