Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance) | Oireachtas source

What I do not believe is that in one of the wealthiest countries in the world it is acceptable for us to have record numbers of families and, worst of all, children living in homeless accommodation. I do not accept that a whole generation of young people are being crucified with unaffordable rents and can never hope to own their own home. I do not accept that there are now more than 250,000 people in arrears with their energy bills because of energy price hikes. I do not accept that 17% of the population suffer deprivation. I do not accept that workers have lost about 10% of their income in real terms because of cost-of-living hikes while the corporations have seen their profits quadruple. The ESB made €679 million in the first six months of this year, which is double what it earned two years ago. The banks are recording extraordinary profits and as I said figures from the Central Bank show the richest 10% of our population own more wealth than everybody else.

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