I thank the Social Democrats for tabling this motion. It is a really good motion. I want to say something to Sinn Féin. Its Deputies have left the Chamber. Last night, those in Sinn Féin, including Deputy Thomas Gould, engaged in an attack on our party. Deputy O'Reilly has done so again this morning in the context of the motion. Those in Sinn Féin did not support the measures that were brought forward to help people who are struggling across the industry last night, which is ironic. They are criticising us for doing so. I do not get that. They are engaging in voodoo economics, and espousing no carbon tax ever, no USC, and no local property tax. Where in the name of God are we going to get taxation revenue from? This is voodoo economics, and it needs to be called out. When seeking an alternative government and partners to serve in such a government, this is a very strange way of going about it. I do not want to repeat many of the things that have been said. However, I have to say that, politically, the past two weeks have been disastrous for the Government. The Minister of State would probably agree. The measures that were brought in respect of industries that involve high fuel usage were absolutely necessary. How it was not seen that this was necessary previously is beyond me. Where is this going? I will tell you where it is going. It will lead to ordinary workers getting pay increases, and the Labour Party will support them 100% in that regard. The trade unions of Ireland need to be knocking on the Government's door today and saying that people cannot sustain this. Workers, those on fixed incomes and the vulnerable cannot sustain it. The signal that the Government was going wrong started with the budget last year when it took out all the necessary payments to those who are vulnerable and to workers. The commentary is to the effect that the Government is out of touch. I would like to tweak that. In order to be out of touch with something, you have to be knowledgeable and in touch in the first place. The Government has been neither for a long time. The only people it has been in touch with are those who pressured it into making some ridiculous changes in taxation in the budget. Those who are really affected, who have to deal with grocery inflation of 6.5% and growing, those who have to deal with all the energy issues, including that relating to kerosene, which has been spoken about so often, those who have to deal with higher education costs, which, unbelievably, the Government is pushing through, those who have to deal with increasing medical bills and a range of other issues and those who are rearing families are the ones who I absolutely guarantee will be knocking on the Government's door. While there were thousands out protesting and while the changes that were brought about relate to high fuel users in particular sectors - and the downstream impact across all other industries in Ireland is so important - it must be remembered that the majority of those who were protesting are just ordinary people. There is literally nothing for them. Any small changes as regards fuel costs will be absorbed within weeks. What is the Government going to do for them? How will it ensure that they are protected? The anger of people will get much worse. They will mobilise - we and the trade unions will help them to mobilise - and they will be knocking on the Government's door. It will not just be a couple of thousand people; it will be hundreds of thousands who will be expressing anger like has never been seen before. It reminds me of the end of the Government that held office between 2007 and 2011, which the Minister of State will remember quite well. That is the level of anger I have seen. We will need pay increases for workers. We will need energy credits. We will need changes in the context of working from home. We will need changes with regard to public transport costs. We will need maximum price orders. We will need to deal with grocery inflation in a way that it has not been dealt with already. We will need to look at all the extra costs that have been brought in by this Government in the past few months. When a Government believes that bringing in the Army is the solution, rather than dealing with ordinary workers' and ordinary people's concerns, that is not a Government that is out of touch; it is a Government that has lost its mandate.

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