Aidan Davitt (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Their attitude towards business in particular has been very mean-fisted. I refer to how they have been dealing with people who run businesses and who have other people's money, including that of clients, in their accounts. It has been scandalous to say the least.

With regard to Croí Cónaithe, I have been dealing with the scheme for a number of months and we have found it to be a great success. There is certainly evidence that the scheme, brought in by the Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, is very helpful and very positive. I have seen it in my own area. The owners of houses that had been laid up for quite a while have been approached and the houses bought and young people are now doing them up and moving into areas that have been neglected in recent years. We hear a lot of negativity with regard to housing but the Croí Cónaithe scheme and the €50,000 grant for older houses to be done up by first-time buyers has been a bright light. I commend and compliment the Minister in that regard.

I appreciate the Cathaoirleach's latitude in allowing me to make a final point. As the Cathaoirleach will know, because we have discussed the matter here on a couple of occasions, my views on Russia's aggression in Ukraine are on the record. However, it is bit populist of people to call for the expulsion of the Russian ambassador. We are a neutral country and we have to keep channels of negotiation, discussion and persuasion open. I strongly feel that calls to send the Russian ambassador back to Russia are somewhat less than genuine.