Jennifer Whitmore (Wicklow, Social Democrats)

In response to the Tánaiste's question, the Social Democrats would absolutely not have spent over €100 million on energy credits for holiday homes. We repeatedly said that. I do not know how anyone could justify that payment. The Tánaiste talks about Wicklow. I will tell him what people and families in Wicklow want. They want the same as families all over the country. They want to know their children, when they grow up, will have a home they can afford. They want to know if they have elderly parents and those parents need hospital care, there will be a bed available for them. They want to know that if their children have disabilities, there will be services and supports provided to them. They want to know the Government, the State and public services are sufficient and will meet their needs. The reality is that does not happen. Ireland is a wealthy country, yet so many pieces of our infrastructure and public sector just do not work. Where has all that money gone? Where has the Government invested it? We have never had as much money come into this country as over the past 14 years and we have very little to show for it.

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