Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

We have agreed a first principle in the other change in transport. Everything has to change because of the scale of the challenge. The principle is that it comes from the bottom up. The local authorities will have to decide, and they are starting. Dublin City Council is to change the city this summer. Dún Laoghaire is doing the same. I will be encouraging every single councillor in the local elections to declare where they stand on this question of our day. Similarly, it was not just the energy credits and transport fares. We halved childcare costs in a way that was fundamentally supportive of young people trying to raise families. We expanded the likes of free contraception and for the next 11 months - the Minister for Finance reminded me it is not ten - we will continue to deliver on Sláintecare, which is happening. We can deliver it in these next 11 months.

Another caring act that was hugely important was the introduction of basic income for artists and the funding we are about to expend again further in the coming weeks for sports grants. As the former Taoiseach said, a great deal of money went into arts venues. We are starting to do that now with the night-time economy, which is important.

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