Pringle: ‘This government is benefitting businesses rather than citizens’

Independent TD for Donegal, Thomas Pringle, said the Government has shown there is no difference between Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil, and changing a party leader will not bring the change the country needs.

“After today’s speeches, we have another excuse for doing nothing to add to the lexicon of Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil, supported by whatever party thinks they can make hay by supporting them,” Deputy Pringle said in the Dáil. “For years we have been treated to the maxim that it is ‘the permanent government’ that is at fault, or that we would love to be able to do that, but it is ‘European policy that won’t let us’.

“We can now add to the litany of do-nothing complaints that it is the ‘global megatrends’ that are responsible for us not being able to sort the housing crisis.

“The one big positive that comes out of this is that it will show once and for all that no matter who leads Fine Gael or Fianna Fáil, it will not change how this country is run. 

“And that is the problem,” he said, adding that the country needs, “a change in government direction where the emphasis is on looking after those that need it, putting citizens first, not developers or businesses.  

“That in my mind is a simple change of emphasis that would make a huge difference for people across the board. I don’t believe that Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael are capable of doing that. 

“The one thing about this government is that it categorically has shown once and for all that there is no substantial difference between Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil. That is something that needed to happen.

“For too long the people were conned into thinking that there was a difference, that if they changed the government for one or other then there would be a change in policy or direction. Now we can see that changing the leader will make no difference either, and for that, I thank you, Taoiseach Harris.”

Deputy Pringle was speaking on nominations by the Taoiseach of other members of the Government.

“There are so many issues that need to be sorted out: housing, including the defective block crisis that will affect so many more homes; health services; homelessness; neutrality; childcare and education that all affect the cost of living, which is a major crisis for citizens.”

“One example will show, I think, how this government is benefitting businesses rather than citizens. 

“The auto-enrolment pension scheme that the deputy leader of Fine Gael is leading will hand millions to private pension companies, leaving workers in the lurch but giving huge handouts to the companies. 

“The minister has refused to look at a proposal that would lead to greater rewards for workers, guaranteeing them pensions on retirement that are 53% of earnings rather than the private sector proposal of 22% of earnings, with a retirement lump sum that is 144% of the private scheme for a 25-year-old worker today when they retire. 

"But then that won't benefit pension companies and brokers, so this government doesn’t want to know. 

“That's not the fault of ‘the permanent government’, ‘Europe’ or the ‘global megatrends’. It is squarely the fault of Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and the Greens and that is the problem with a government that is not responsive to the citizens and that can be traced to every place that the government operates. 

“We need a government that does not look for excuses and will look after citizens and provide services for them, and everything else will look after itself.”