Ivana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour)

I first want to thank the Tánaiste for updating the House on the situation with the five Irish citizens illegally detained by Israel on the flotilla. We all think of our colleague, Deputy Heneghan, but also the writer, Ms Naoise Dolan, and the other citizens who were detained. Israel must be held accountable for the breaches of international law. The Tánaiste might please keep us updated on the fate of the Irish citizens.

This is a budget, as Deputy Nash so memorably said, for burger barons and big builders, with broken promises for everyone else. There is real anger out there because there is a whiff of 2008 about this budget, with a strong seasoning of the Galway tent. In other words, it stinks. There are giveaways for fast-food chains and developers but nothing for workers or families and derisory measures for children in poverty, those in housing insecurity or homelessness, and disabled people. It is lots of spin, but no substance. It is safe to say that this budget contains the single most right-wing tax package in living memory. As the Irish Fiscal Advisory Council points out, the full-year cost of the lavish pro-big business tax cuts is €2.3 billion.

The Taoiseach said the poorest would benefit but we have seen the Parliamentary Budget Office analysis, which shows that income poverty will increase after this budget next year due to the removal of the one-off payment.

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