Charles Ward: Government Vilifies Citizens at Breaking Point
Charles Ward accuses the government of vilifying protesters and ignoring citizens struggling with the cost-of-living crisis. He reads constituent testimony about inability to heat homes, the collapse of prospects for home ownership, and professionals contemplating leaving nursing.
What Ward said: In this address Charles Ward challenges the government response to recent public protests and the wider human cost of economic strain. He highlights that instead of listening, the government is treating citizens with contempt and threatening those who voice their concerns.
Voices from constituents: Ward reads emails from nurses, healthcare workers and families who describe desperate choices - skipping heat, dipping into savings, and feeling there is no future in Ireland. He quotes a nurse who regrets returning to the profession and families who cannot afford heating oil.
Local impact and demand for action: Ward points to Donegal where he cites that 85% of homes rely on heating oil and households have faced an extra 700 euros they cannot find. He urges immediate government action, arguing people are crying for help and cannot wait for delay.
What Ward said: In this address Charles Ward challenges the government response to recent public protests and the wider human cost of economic strain. He highlights that instead of listening, the government is treating citizens with contempt and threatening those who voice their concerns.
Voices from constituents: Ward reads emails from nurses, healthcare workers and families who describe desperate choices - skipping heat, dipping into savings, and feeling there is no future in Ireland. He quotes a nurse who regrets returning to the profession and families who cannot afford heating oil.
Local impact and demand for action: Ward points to Donegal where he cites that 85% of homes rely on heating oil and households have faced an extra 700 euros they cannot find. He urges immediate government action, arguing people are crying for help and cannot wait for delay.
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Transcript
People are at breaking point and they're struggling every day just to get by. Many of these people took to the streets last week to voice their concerns and engage in their democratic right to protest. And what does this government do? It vilifies them and it threatens them. And what kind of democratic republic are we living in when instead of listening and engaging our government vilifies them and threatens its citizens and treats them with contempt. It's simply despicable and the people of this country deserve better and the people of this country deserve a government that listens to them and truly values them. And a government that works for the people and not against the people. And the citizens are crying for help and to act instantly not delay. And the hundreds of emails I'm getting from my constituents it's cry for help and it's desperate and it's getting worse. We are dealing with a real issue coming up and it's not getting any better. And what and here's just like what they're saying and I'm just going to read you out some of this stuff. The prospects of owning our own home feels completely alien to us. It feels out of touch and out of reach. We are struggling. The both of us are working. I'm a healthcare worker and my husband is in construction. We cannot afford to keep heating oil in our tank. We have two kids. What can we do? This is this is just the start of it. A nurse, a third year nurse. I feel like I have made the wrong decision to go back to nursing. I wish that I went to Australia two years ago. Another one. I got married last year. I've been working in the family-run business agricultural sector since I was 20 years, for the last 20 years. Myself and my wife both work full-time to provide for our family. Our two kids. Every week it's getting harder and harder. Neither of us smoke or drink. We don't go socialising. We had to give up our pastime hobbies and we're constantly having to dip into our savings. There is no help. There is no future for us in Ireland. This is what they're saying. This is what's going on. People have given up hope. In Donegal, 85% of the homes are are powered with heating oil and they've had to find an extra 700 euros over the last month that they just simply can't get. So the oil is out. They're sitting in damp homes. They're letting their kids go to bed with hot water bottles and extra layers. In this day and age, shame on this government.