Holly Cairns (Cork South West, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

The thing that is difficult for me to believe or that I do not really buy or that, to be honest, is not really credible is that somebody who was the Minister for Health with responsibility for disability when nothing improved and things got worse then comes in as Taoiseach and sets up a Cabinet subcommittee when we have already had loads of committees and reports and know all the things we need to do. Then, when he is pointing at things that have happened, he says now we are offering more private solutions rather than investing in the public services we need to address disability services. It is brazen to claim that somehow Fine Gael or the Taoiseach is going to be the solution to these issues without acknowledging that things have got worse, that people cannot access special education, that people are travelling potentially two and a half hours and not being able to go to school at all. It seems the Taoiseach thinks the threadbare services are some kind of a given, when Ireland is a rich country that should be able to provide these services. Fine Gael has had a really long time to try to address that and the Taoiseach has not even acknowledged that. I hope people see through the fact this is a tried, tested and failed Government on this issue and on housing.

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