I acknowledge Margaret Loftus and salute her courage. Another week has passed, and the cost-of-living crisis continues to heap pressure on families who are struggling to make ends meet. When people look to the Government to give them some hope, it tells them to manage their expectations. They are left wondering what it takes to get the same urgent treatment it affords to sectoral interests. I am left asking the same thing. Every day, the Taoiseach stands in the Dáil lecturing us about prudence and restraint. Of course, he is right to point to global instability as a driver of chaos. It is, clearly, but that instability cannot excuse his inaction at home. In fact, decisive action and cool heads are exactly what we need at a time of chaos. Unfortunately, the disarray internationally has infected the Government too. Just as Viktor Orbán lost his election in Hungary, it seems the Minister, Deputy O'Donovan, has lost his sense of humour. It is clear that Trump has lost the plot, and we are all paying the price, but the Government has lost its touch, not that it ever had it, really. Where are the cool heads? Where is the decisive action? As the spring economic forecast indicates, there is money there. It is how the Government is spending it that is the problem. Nowhere is that problem clearer than in the mixed messages coming from the Taoiseach’s own Cabinet. In here, the Taoiseach tells us he is acting prudently but in the media, the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance has transformed into the Minister for commentary and kite-flying, floating a stream of potential budget measures. In recent weeks, we have heard about saving scheme tax cuts and changes to inheritance tax; in the past 24 hours alone, new income tax measures and energy credits; and this morning, the Taoiseach is talking about new Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland, SEAI, grants. His shedsits are the latest - €14,000 tax free for people with large gardens. Where is the plan? Where are the supports for PAYE workers? This is the failure of the Taoiseach's budget last year writ large. It is the original sin of his Government's lack of vision and ambition for the country. In October, there was no money for the renewables revolution that we need. There was nothing for universal public childcare, yet the Government found €1 billion in tax breaks for developers and fast food chains. The question is obvious: how can the Government move quickly for some but not for others, when nearly 500,000 households are in arrears on their energy bills, grocery prices are rising and the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, is warning that electricity prices could go up by up to 9% this summer? The Taoiseach is failing to introduce the systems change that is needed. Other countries like Spain are offering an alternative by investing heavily in renewables, recognising the link between tackling climate action, reducing household bills and securing the energy grid. Unlike the Irish Government, the Spanish Government has a vision. Will the Taoiseach give hope to hard-pressed PAYE workers, adopt targeted energy credits, support pay rises and invest in real climate action to insulate against energy shocks?

Sentiment score: 0.03

By all means, let us have an honest debate. The Taoiseach will have to acknowledge, in honesty, that the Labour Party supported the funds. We did not support any narrowing of the tax base. We accept, of course, a renewables revolution requires investment, and requires money to be invested in it. However, if we are having an honest debate, let us talk about the ESRI report which acknowledged that Ireland has the highest energy prices in Europe and that a huge problem, which the Taoiseach must recognise, is that our electricity prices are being driven by gas prices. We are among the countries in the EU with the highest reliance on gas - a fossil fuel - and that is extremely costly. We have an extremely high proportion of households still using oil for heating. We are out of line with other countries which have invested more extensively in renewables and are pushing renewables to power electricity generation. Instead of that, the Government, particularly since the Green Party left office, is relying on an expanding series of data centres which are gobbling up electricity, and relying on the importation of LNG. Where is the vision there? Why are we not seeing more of a move from subsidising dirty fuels?

Sentiment score: 0.18

We supported the funds.

Sentiment score: 0.32