Jennifer Whitmore (Wicklow, Social Democrats)

There are economic clouds on the horizon and there is a growing sense of worry about what the future holds. Coupled with that is a lot of frustration with the Government's moralising about this budget. Having splashed the cash in an attempt to buy votes last year, its message has suddenly changed. Now that an election is no longer on the cards, one-off payments are a bad idea. The Social Democrats told the Government that last year. We told it to invest in sustainable measures that would assist people and their long-term futures. We told it to target the measures and target supports for people. It ignored us. It proceeded with a giveaway budget that was a cynical piece of electioneering. Fine Gael likes to style itself as a party of fiscal probity, giving lectures to the public about the importance of counting pennies, but the reality is it has been throwing public money around like snuff at a wake. The Government's spending in a few short years has increased by nearly 50%. In 2020, it cost €70 billion to run the country. We have gone from spending €70 billion to nearly €110 billion this year, €40 billion more in the budget. What do we have to show for it? We have a housing crisis that is spiralling out of control. We have record homelessness. We have disability services that are threadbare. We have soaring levels of child poverty. We have a cost-of-living crisis that is escalating and we have energy and water infrastructure that is crumbling.

The reality is this Government is an epic waster. It has wasted time, opportunity and a generational opportunity to invest in a better future. It has wasted our money. That is why people feel so let down. They feel disillusioned. They listen to the Government pat itself on the back for its prudent financial management while they struggle with the very basics. They struggle to keep a roof over their heads, their electricity on and food on their tables. The public services they need are just not there for them.

I ask the Tánaiste to please spare us his lectures about careful budgetary planning. The reality is this Government has been reckless and feckless. It talks about the importance of infrastructure as if that has suddenly dawned on it. While Uisce Éireann warns it will run out of capacity for new homes in Dublin in three years' time, we are on course to have zero off-shore wind generation by 2030 and our electricity grid is on the verge of collapse.

Fine Gael has been in government for 14 years. I know the Tánaiste will probably stand up and try to blame the Opposition for his problems and mistakes because that seems to be the status quo. When will the Tánaiste take responsibility and what will he do in the budget that will actually make a real difference for people?

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