Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)

Ní aontaím leis an Teachta in aon chor. Rinne an Rialtas an-chuid i mbuiséad na seachtaine seo caite, go háirithe chun cabhair agus tacaíocht a thabhairt do dhaoine a bhfuil ag fulaingt faoi láthair. Admhaím go bhfuil costais mhaireachtála, go háirithe ó thaobh cúrsaí bia de, ag dul in airde. Thug an méid a rinneamar cabhair agus tacaíocht do na daoine is boichte agus na daoine atá ar na hioncaim is ísle sa tír. Níl aon amhras ach go ndearnamar sin.

When we look at the budget across the board, it focused on those on the lowest incomes and also on investing in public services and infrastructure.

All of us in society benefit from investment in infrastructure, in education services and special education services, in health services and in more housing. Housing is the biggest single issue facing us, and the budget puts extraordinary resources into housing on top of what was provided in the national development plan. Most young people, irrespective of where they are in the income brackets, want either to be able to afford a house to buy or to rent or, if their incomes are within a certain bracket, to get a social house. We provided enough resources for over 10,000 social houses to be built next year and additional social houses to be leased or acquired. That is the point I am making. I did not say anybody got it wrong or anything like that.

To come back to the ESRI, I would argue its methodology is somewhat flawed-----

See this speech in context