Simon Harris

No, I don't think it's a mistake, but I think you learn from every crisis.

I mean, I'm very proud of the response that Ireland put in place.

I'm very proud of the people of this country, how they opened their hearts, their homes, and the solidarity they showed.

But you also do learn.

And I think one of the learnings is the reliance.

I mean, if you take, and I can think of communities right across the country, I can think of communities that I represent in Dáil Éireann, where

hotels were taken out of use.

Now, interestingly, when contracts have been not renewed, most of those hotels have become hotels again.

So we do need to look at the amount of money that was spent on this is very large.

I still think on balance is the right thing to do, is the decent thing to do, but it's not sustainable.

It is not sustainable.

It has to end.

It's not fair.

We can't have a situation where some people in our country live rent free while having a right to work and other people don't.

I have huge respect for John Fitzgerald.

I think on this occasion, he might be misunderstanding what I'm trying to do.

So the uber wealthy need no help from me.

They're doing perfectly well all by themselves.

They're not the people I come into work for every day.

But the nurse married to the guard, the teacher married to the civil servant, the person running a small business, the farmer, the person who's trying to set aside a few bob, even just a small little amount in deposit accounts is missing out.