Mary Regan

But that's all in the past.

And it might be meaningless to some younger voters.

So if there was someone who's just turning 18, they haven't voted yet, they will, over the next couple of years, vote for the first time.

What would you say to them that Fianna Fáil can do for them?

Or...

It's also the function of a younger person who can't buy a house and never sees a future for themselves in this country, owning their own property.

To question their politicians.

Your ministerial colleague, Derek Leary, said this week that loads of people are suggesting him as the future leader of Fianna Fáil.

Are loads of people suggesting you?

So not as many as Derek Leary?

Is it something that you see in your immediate or medium-term future?

So what do you say to your mother then when she suggests you as a leader?

Okay, but do you think now there is a sort of timeline in the party's mind as to when Micheál Martin will be replaced as leader?

And some people in your party have said, you know, there's been mutterings about the leadership for a year now, but you haven't sort of

gone for it and that perhaps you're just sort of standing back waiting for it to land on your lap instead of perhaps having the ambition to fight for it.

So you have no regrets about saying that then, by the sounds of things?

I don't.

But a lot of people, including in your own party, some people would say that those comments added fuel to the flames and actually made protesters more angry and more disconnected, as they saw it, from the government.

But not just on the personality side, on the policy side.

You know, you mentioned Le Mas being associated with, you know, building this country's economic policy.