Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

Is mian liom comhghairdeas a chur in iúl don iarThaoiseach, an Teachta Varadkar. Bhí sé gonta lena chuid freagraí i gcónaí agus thaitin sé sin liom, in ainneoin nár thaitin na freagraí liom. Cuirim céad míle fáilte roimh chlann an Aire, an Teachta Harris, anseo: a bhean chéile, Caoimhe; a thuismitheoirí, Bart agus Mary; agus na gasúir, Cillian agus Saoirse. Gan dabht, is pribhléid amach is amach é agus is lá stairiúil atá ann inniu. Faraor, ní bheidh mé in ann mo thacaíocht a thabhairt dó, bunaithe ar a pholasaithe, ní ar leibhéal pearsanta.

Without a doubt, today is a very important day for the Fine Gael Party and it is an absolute privilege for Deputy Harris's family. I welcome his family here. He will not have my support based on the policies that his party and his colleagues have continued with for years. They talk about collateral damage. This was encapsulated lately for me by Professor John FitzGerald when he dealt with Germany saying we had a housing crisis by saying they were simply jealous and our problems arose from a successful economy. That is what the Government accepts - that the problems are collateral to a successful economy. I fundamentally disagree with that.

As I speak today there are 13,841 people and children homeless, directly as a result of the Government's policy. Yesterday in Galway, 71 people were on trolleys. Less than a year ago HIQA visited Galway and said it was grossly overcrowded when there were 25 on trolleys. None of these policies happened by accident. They are the direct result of the Government and continuous Governments relying on a market, commodifying everything and having no sense whatsoever of what a republic, public services and equality truly mean. They are all waiting for the boats to rise with the tide. Nothing has changed as a result of Covid or climate change where we urgently require transformative change. They are not empty words. The former Taoiseach and Tánaiste were totally wrong to stand up today and talk about these problems being caused by outside events. They refuse to accept or look in the mirror and realise they arise directly from their policies.

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