Denise Mitchell: I have no confidence in this Government
Denise Mitchell declares she has no confidence in this Government, accusing Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael of prioritising big business, lobbyists and vulture funds over ordinary families. Speaking as a TD for Dublin Bay North, she highlights homelessness, rising rents, unfair energy costs and broken promises on disability and carers.
Denise Mitchell opens by stating she never had confidence in the Government and says ordinary people and workers have been sidelined. She blames Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael for measures that favour corporations and vulture funds while families suffer the consequences.
Mitchell details seeing thousands of children homeless and condemns a rent hike bill that she says throws families to the wolves. She highlights houses and apartment blocks bought by vulture funds that pay little or no tax and are then rented back at high prices.
Mitchell criticises the Government for backtracking on promises such as a cost of disability payment and an end to the means test for carers. She confronts claims of regional independence and calls out Deputy Heneghan and others she labels as aligned to Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael rather than to voters.
The address frames these issues as evidence that the current Government is failing to listen to people who work hard and pay bills. Mitchell urges accountability and a return to policies that prioritise households over vested interests.
Central accusation
Denise Mitchell opens by stating she never had confidence in the Government and says ordinary people and workers have been sidelined. She blames Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael for measures that favour corporations and vulture funds while families suffer the consequences.
Housing and rent pressure
Mitchell details seeing thousands of children homeless and condemns a rent hike bill that she says throws families to the wolves. She highlights houses and apartment blocks bought by vulture funds that pay little or no tax and are then rented back at high prices.
Broken promises and local accountability
Mitchell criticises the Government for backtracking on promises such as a cost of disability payment and an end to the means test for carers. She confronts claims of regional independence and calls out Deputy Heneghan and others she labels as aligned to Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael rather than to voters.
Consequences and demand for change
The address frames these issues as evidence that the current Government is failing to listen to people who work hard and pay bills. Mitchell urges accountability and a return to policies that prioritise households over vested interests.
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Transcript
Fianna Fáil, I have no confidence in this Government. I never had confidence in this Government because over the years I've watched as the concerns of ordinary people and workers take a back seat. So Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael can please big businesses, lobbyists and vulture funds. And the thing that really gets to me is the unfairness of it all. We have thousands of children homeless. And at the same time we see this Government throwing families to the wolves with their rent hike bill. We've seen houses and apartment blocks being snapped up by vulture funds who pay little or no tax and then they rent it back to hard working people at outrageous prices. Ministers, families in my constituency are struggling with their ESB bills. We have elderly people who are terrified to turn on their heating because of the cost. Meanwhile in Clunchoch we have data centres paying half of what households do for their electricity. Can I ask yous here, how is that fair? We had promises from Government of a cost of disability payment for an end to the means test for carers. More broken promises. Instead you left them worse off after your budget. Whatever happened to standing up for the people who get up early in the morning. Remember that phrase, the phrase Fine Gael was so fond of. Well they got nothing. And I cannot be the only TD in Dublin Bay North who's hearing about the unfairness of it all. I'm sure the Fianna Fáil deputies and the Fine Gael deputy and deputy Heanahan is hearing it too. And if they're hearing it then I need to ask yous, do you care? Because people want a Government who will listen to them and make decisions that will make their lives easier. But as usual we have too little too late with half measures coming again from Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael. All backed by the so-called regional independence. People like deputy Heanahan in my constituency who told voters he would be an independent voice, who would be free from party restrictions. But the reality is he and the rest of the Lowry lackeys take their orders from Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil and you're still giving the two fingers up to the ordinary people. So I don't have confidence in Fianna Fáil, I don't have confidence in Fine Gael and I don't have confidence in this so-called independence.