I make no apologies for voting no confidence in this Government last night. It was the right thing to do. There is never a wrong time to do the right thing. It is a pity that some Independent TDs put their own political ambitions before the needs of ordinary workers and families. Ordinary workers and families have lost confidence in the Government. The Government is not listening. It still has not taken the necessary steps to make fuel affordable at the pumps. It did nothing on home heating oil. The ordinary workers did not want to protest over the last couple of weeks. They did not want to take to the streets. They wanted to be able to get to work, but the Government left them with no choice. It did not listen. It refused to engage. Instead of de-escalating the situation, it made things worse. All they wanted was dialogue, but the Government threatened ordinary citizens with the Army. Yes, the protests were about fuel and the Government's mismanagement of the cost-of-living crisis, but the cost-of-living crisis is only the tip of the iceberg. When the cost of living is put on top of the multitude of Government failures, it was the straw that broke the camel's back. We have record homelessness, rents and house prices are going through the roof, and people with disabilities are €1,400 worse off this year than they were last year. Children are waiting on life-changing interventions like scoliosis surgery, assessments of need and mental health supports in CAMHS. The Government promised €200 per month for childcare. Where is it? I only have a couple of minutes to speak today, but I could go on and on about Government failures. Last night, Sinn Féin proposed an alternative, fairer solution to tackle rising energy costs, but again, the Government chose half measures. This Government is out of touch and running out of time.

Sentiment score: -0.10