Talk to some of your own Ministers about some of that; some of your former Ministers.

If there was ever a lesson in how out of touch you are, Heather, that was it. Fair play to you. Not a mention of the people at the food banks. An ivory tower politician.

I thank everybody who contributed to the debate. It is an important debate in a crucial week for households that will in large part determine how they will cope during the rest of the year. I acknowledge the Minister of State, Deputy O'Brien's contribution was of on different level. At least he talked about some measures. However, if anybody needed an example of how far out of touch the Government is, it was the contribution of the Minister, Deputy Humphreys.

Sinn Féin has tabled a motion tonight after people have queued for food parcels today. As parents are sitting down wondering how they will feed their kids supper and what is in store tomorrow and next week, they are watching this debate hoping the Government will recognise their hardships and plight. The Minister, who is the Minister for Social Protection not just for the Fine Gael Party but supposedly for the State, failed to address any of that. She showed no empathy whatsoever for people on the breadline. She sh…

I thank the Minister and thank Deputy Carthy for tabling the question, and I thank Deputy Conway-Walsh, who has led out on this and had a priority question earlier. I come from a rural county but it is also a Border county. The two are very important when we look at this issue because there is a question of geography and access to veterinary services. We know in the evaluation that was carried out that it is the counties down the west coast - Donegal, Galway, Mayo and Kerry - that have the highest concentration of …

Tá costais morgáiste ardaithe ag na mílte úinéirí tí mar thoradh ar ardú na rátaí úis atá feicthe le cúpla mí anuas. Éireoidh sé níos measa sna míonna atá amach romhainn de réir mar a mhéadaíonn rátaí trasna an bhoird agus de réir mar a bhíonn oibrithe agus teaghlaigh ag déileáil leis an ngéarchéim costais maireachtála. Tá tacaíocht agus faoiseamh morgáiste de dhíth orthu. For homeowners, the cost-of-living crisis has opened up a new front, as mortgage-interest rates continue to rise. The European Central Bank, ECB…

When the Minister's party clubbed with Fine Gael to prevent legislation to ensure these loans were not sold to the vulture funds, it gave commitments that people would be no worse off. How naive was that? How false a promise was that? These individuals are paying thousands and thousands of euro more as a result of their mortgages being sold to a vulture fund. I gave the example of Rachel. She is paying €4,000 in interest more than she was paying this time last year. That is a serious amount of money and it is befor…

That is nonsense.

That is not true.

What about those you handed over to the vultures?

You handed these families to the vultures. What are you going to do?

Yes.

You will do nothing.

It was the Central Bank that reduced interest rates.

Four months ago, a terrible tragedy engulfed the village of Creeslough. We saw the loss of ten precious lives and others severely injured. Since then, the whole nation has wrapped its arms around that village, and particularly the families of those who lost loved ones. Unfortunately, some of those families are deeply distraught at the fact that TG4 is planning to broadcast a documentary tonight. A number of the families have contacted me directly and I know that they have also contacted TG4 directly. They are plead…

I move: That Dáil Éireann: notes that: — the European Central Bank has increased its main lending rate for the fifth time, to a rate of 3 per cent, having been 0 per cent last June; — approximately 200,000 tracker mortgage borrowers are facing immediate and significant increases in their mortgage repayments; — approximately 65,000 mortgage borrowers with mortgage contracts held by vulture funds are facing immediate and significant increases in their mortgage repayments, with many now charged interest rates of more …

It means 12 months.

What the Minister of State is doing is stupid.

It is a reference rate.

It is a stupid argument.