Máire Devine (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The Leader of the House blamed Sinn Féin for claiming that we live in Dickensian conditions in this country. He needs to open his eyes because such conditions exist for many such as the homeless and people awaiting housing. People with a disability have been given an insulting extra €5 per week even though there are greater mobility costs for them. Senator Dolan is more able than me to talk about the costs associated with disability and gaining access. The Irish Wheelchair Association made an impressive presentation and told us that it costs an extra €200 per week for people with mobility issues to live their lives.

Sinn Féin asked for the USC to be retained. The Government has portrayed us as basket cases when it comes to economics. I put it to the Government members that it is they who are the basket cases as they have allowed the USC to be whittled away. Sinn Féin has prudently costed the property tax. There is nothing in the budget either about the abolition of the dreaded water charges, and Fianna Fáil has suddenly realised it can use the issue to best advantage. The water charges issue has not gone away and will return in March 2017. The Government can deal with the issue in its own way at that time but people will protest on the streets.

Every single housing agency has come out against the help-to-buy scheme. It will only enrich the builders and speculators. We are returning to an era of boom and having a false economy. Have we not learned our lessons? Are we not clever enough to learn from mistakes? Is the Government trying to be populist, as Senator Mulherin has called Sinn Féin, keeping everybody sweet and neat and saying we can go on as we always have done?

Sinn Féin and I are about change and revolution. We have a different way of viewing society, nurturing society and nurturing the social clause. Sinn Féin wants to nurture the idea that people gave in the general election just gone. Yes, we want more public services. We are not really into it for our own gain. We want to see this country ticking over happily pursuing happiness, as stated in the Proclamation. That is Sinn Féin's strategy. I will not take any more insults from the Government claiming Sinn Féin has basket case economics. We have costed our proposals but the Government has not even opened our document as it has no interest in doing so. It is the same old thing with Fine Gael, Fianna Fáil and sometimes the Labour Party. We see the same faces time and again on budget day who give us the same old drivel and tell us to be grateful.