Michael McNamara (Clare, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I will begin by paying tribute to Deputies Coveney and Varadkar and their contribution to Irish life at some difficult junctures but I will move on to Deputy Harris as this is a motion of confidence in him as Taoiseach. Over the weekend he promised that he would have the back of farmers, but he has served in a Government which has been on the back of farmers. Like many small business owners, the only thing they get from the Government is a letter warning of new regulations threatening new fines.

The cost of government in this State has ballooned since Deputy Harris entered Cabinet in 2016. It was €68 billion then and it is €110 billion now. Can anybody in this State say that the services on which they rely have increased by that proportion, and that they are getting much better services now than they did then? Can anybody say that the infrastructure on which they rely to get to work and to live is improving by that magnitude? Where is the money going? It is simply unclear. Anybody who rings any Department now will be put on hold and will almost certainly not get through to a person. They simply will not get an answer. The Civil Service does a wonderful job, sometimes, but it requires leadership and it has become complacent and moribund during the lifetime of this Government. For that reason I am afraid I cannot vote confidence in Deputy Harris.

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