Mick Barry (Cork North Central, Solidarity) | Oireachtas source

What is the legacy of the outgoing Minister, Michael McGrath? It is an Ireland where banks and financial institutions made profits of €5 billion plus last year while mortgage holders were stretched on the rack of consecutive interest rate rises. It is an Ireland where a privatised airline can make profits of €225 million but is prepared to bring the country to the brink of travel chaos rather than pay a cost-of-living increase to its pilots. It is an Ireland where young people are locked out of the housing market. The average price of a home in the city of Cork rose last year by €30,000, more than a year's take-home pay for many young workers. Jack Chambers, the nominee, is cut from the same political cloth as Michael McGrath. The new Minister for Finance may be young but he will deliver the same old, same old. Before I sit down, I will set the Minister a challenge for his first week in the job. Yesterday, the Dáil gave a standing ovation to a brave young woman from Limerick. Members should forgive me, but I am a bit sceptical about Dáil standing ovations. One that stands out in my memory is the one given to the nation's front-line health workers when the country was in the grip of Covid and they were working without a vaccine or even proper PPE. More than 100 of them – nurses – are back in the WRC this week to ensure that their dedicated long Covid sick pay scheme is not ended this weekend by the Government. Is the Minister in waiting prepared to act on this issue to prevent a terrible injustice from taking place? I will be watching that one very closely.

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