Cork alone has 1,788 derelict properties. Nationally, nearly 19,000 homes sit idle while people sleep on sofas or in their cars, working adults are in their parents' box rooms and there will be over 17,000 people in homeless services tonight. The Government has a derelict levy which is obviously not working. The Government has watched some of the local authorities fail to collect a single cent. The Minister for Finance is now blaming local government. It is worth noting that 31 of the local authorities are largely controlled by Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael councillors. There are 493 Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael councillors out of 949. Will the Taoiseach now own his own failures - every empty house, every family on a waiting list, every night someone spends in emergency accommodation? Will the Taoiseach explain, not only to this House but to the 61,000 households on waiting lists, why the Government answer to its own failure is always the same - to find someone else to blame?

Sentiment score: -0.25

In this case, the Government is blaming its Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael councillors.

Sentiment score: -0.34