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Chapter 1: What led to Michael Healy Ray's resignation from the government?
Man overboard, well, two men actually, as the Healy Rays pull the plug on their support for the coalition. The government still handily won a vote of confidence in the Dáil, but is this a portent of a splintering of support as the economic clouds turn darker by the minute?
To find out how Michael Healy Ray's decision to surrender his junior ministerial position is going down in his Kerry constituency, Brian O'Connell has been to Killarney this morning.
Well, something had to give, like, you know what I mean? Things have gone through the roof, like, even for us now, for one fill alone, and it's gone up 30 euros. That's a lot, and I can understand their pride, like, and it affects everyone who's down the line. And what did you think, then, of Michael Healy-Ray stepping down from government? Right decision? Right decision. It had to be done, like.
Things are happening left, right and centre, and everybody's suffering, like. Something had to give. Their dues, the boys, they stood up. And with Michael Haley Ray last night stepping down from government? I got a bit of a surprise.
Chapter 2: How are constituents reacting to Healy Ray's decision?
I didn't really hear about it. Yeah, you didn't think he'd step down? I didn't even know he was thinking about it. Well, I suppose they had a point. There's no doubt costs have gone up, but they've gone up for everybody. From just a regular person who's not in business to Harley, and I sympathise with those people, is the fuel costs in getting a tank of oil.
And we're paying an average of €850 in excess of €850 now for an average of 500 litres. Did you think Michael Hillyway was right to step down from government last night? I think he was under pressure. I think he was under pressure locally. There was a lot of negativity that he was speaking out of both sides of his mouth. I think he was between a rock and a hard place.
The question is, did he do the right thing? Is he better inside looking out than outside looking in? What do you think?
Chapter 3: What are the implications of the Dáil vote of confidence?
It's a hard call, and I'm sure it was a hard call. He's a hard worker, there's no doubt about it. The man works hard. He had a decision to make. And time is going to tell, you know. Either way, that government is there to stay. And he's now... They have the numbers. They have the numbers. He's outside looking in rather than inside looking out.
Mixed views there in Kerry where there are two more opposition TDs this morning. Well, last night a €505 million package was passed in the Dáil. But will the reductions be passed on? Will it ease costs and will it be extended beyond July?
For more on this, I'm joined in studio by Colm Brophy, Minister of State for Migration and Fine Gael TD for Dublin South West and on the line by David Cullinan, Sinn Féin TD for Waterford. Good morning to you both.
Chapter 4: How does the government plan to address rising costs?
You're very welcome. Minister, whatever else one can say about Michael Healy-Ray, he knows which way the wind is blowing. The fact that he pulled out of this government suggests that there is a serious backlash against you out there in the country. Do you really think you can survive the full term?
Yes, absolutely. I think this government has the strength and will survive the full term.
Are any of the other independents probably?
I think we've made it very clear, and I think the Tánaiste has been particularly clear on this, that we will have a programme of budgets and we will... and make sure, and we're very clear as well on making sure that we're listening to people and implementing what we believe are the right steps.
And just to put one thing on record, and I think this is important, what Fianna Gaelan government has done for many, many years has actually ensured that the country is in a position to weather shocks like this and to actually be able to put in programmes, which between the two programmes...
is literally three quarters of a billion to enable us to actually hear when people are talking to us about what they want us to do and how we need to react to that. That doesn't happen by accident. That happens by prude, solid financial management. People like Pascal Donoghue, people like Simon Harris, making sure that the country has the resources to do it.
It happens because there's multinational corporations giving us huge amounts of corporation tax, which could disappear like snow off a ditch in the morning.
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Chapter 5: What are the main criticisms of the current government?
It happens through a combination of things that we've done over the years, which have ensured that we have almost full employment in our country, that we have a strong, vibrant economy, and we have many, many businesses contributing and employing people. And actually, me as a public representative, I'm very conscious of that because I believe...
It's not just my job to represent people who are on social media or to represent people who are able to shout loudest, but also to listen to pensioners, to listen to people of every age, people who don't necessarily have the same ability to communicate through Twitter or Facebook or whatever, but need to have their voices heard and need to make sure the government is listening to them.
And I choose as a public representative to be out there every single day, making myself available and hearing what everyone is saying to me, in terms of what they want us to do.
And they're very clear, by the way, they want us to make sure that we recognise the cost of living crisis, which is there, and we do, and make sure that we address it, which we are with these two very substantial proposals, the biggest effectively in Europe that any government has brought in.
And your confidence that the government can last its full term to whatever it is, three and a half years?
I'm absolutely confident. And talking to my independent colleagues last night and over the last number of days, I think there's a real sense of solidness within support for what this government is doing. And indeed, I mean, you know... You might have thought Michael Healy-Ray was solidly in support as well until he decided he wasn't.
Well, I think Deputy, as he now is Michael Healy-Ray, a minister as he was up to 24 hours ago, I think there's a really important thing. When you're supporting a government, there are good days, there are bad days. But you're there doing the right thing on the overall basis for the country, not just for one county or the people of one county. You're there.
And I would have liked, obviously, to have seen Michael do that. In the way that myself and Jim O'Callaghan work together, day in, day out, solidly, we have a very good working relationship. And myself and Minister O'Callaghan will be bringing forward the International Protection Bill today to conclusion.
And that's the type of solid working relationship in government that's delivering for this government.
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Chapter 6: How is Sinn Féin's perspective on government actions presented?
were in favour of people taking to the streets, demanding action, looking at the government putting in place half measures out of touch.
And I think that really arrogant approach that the Taoiseach and the Tánaiste took over the last number of weeks really hurt the government, but it also angered people, created real frustrations, exacerbated the situation that should never have come about in the first place. And we warned the government.
Before the Dáil recess, not to go off on two weeks holidays, abandon people without proper supports. And that's what the government have done. And there's a wider context here as well, David, because it is about fuel at the moment. We have a housing crisis. We have rents going up. We have record homelessness. We have people who can't afford to pay bills.
And they don't see that this government has their backs. In fact, they see the opposite. And I think that arrogance is shining through in the Dáil chamber and outside of the Dáil chamber.
If public opinion is the way you suggest, why isn't Sinn Féin doing better than the opinion polls?
Well, we have increased on where we were in the last general election, but I think if you look at the overall vote for the government parties, the government has dropped support. The reality is this. Look what's happening on the streets. Look what's happening in terms of public sentiment. It is clear as day that public sentiment is not with this government. They are damaged. They are wounded.
The... Comments yesterday by Michael Healy-Ray were quite pointed. He pointed the finger at the head of government, at Micheál Martin, and he made the point that they're not listening. That's exactly what we have been saying over the last while. And if the government had acted a number of weeks ago, I don't think we would be in the situation where we had protests, blockades.
So the three quarters of a billion quid would have sorted it out, would it, if it had been done earlier?
Well, you see, I think there's kind of very glib questions about how much everything costs being put to people.
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Chapter 7: What measures are being proposed to support citizens during the crisis?
But we have to make sure that we're protecting people because we're talking about people's livelihoods. I represent people, David, who don't know which bill to pay. They're faced with rising grocery costs, rising food costs, rising insurance costs, rents, now rising fuel costs. We have 350,000 people who can't afford to pay their electricity bills.
These are real people who are hurting at the moment. We also, of course, saw small contractors, hauliers, farmers, small business people. They are to the pin of their collar. They're not interested in a Punch and Judy show. What they want is action. That was the clear message that was given to me over the last while. They want leadership, they want vision and they want action.
OK, let's put some of that to Minister Colin Brophy. So the government has been accused of not listening. Now, in fairness, you can't accuse the government in the last week of dropping the ball because it appears the government didn't realise the ball had been thrown in in the first place. You were completely caught in the hop.
Well, we weren't caught in the hop because the government... You mean that was the planned response? The government introduced an initial proposal. They made it very clear. When we introduced our initial proposal, the ministers were absolutely clear.
I remember the Tánaiste repeating this in multiple interviews that this would be the first of a staged response and that government would look at what more was needed to be done and if more was needed to be done and it would not be found wanting and doing it. So we were very clear when we introduced our initial proposal that this would not be the end of the response.
You're dealing with a situation, we have to acknowledge this, we're dealing with a very volatile situation in terms of world oil prices being affected by a war that is taking place. Prices are fluctuating, going up and down. And government made it very clear that based on what was happening, we would continue to respond. And that's why we did continue to respond.
Really important to remember that even before the first set of protests, and by the way, just to put on record, I've no problem with people protesting. I think protesting is part of democracy.
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Chapter 8: What is the future outlook for the government following these events?
It's an integral part of democracy, as is, by the way, recognising the result of elections and recognising that the government is in power because the people of Ireland elected this government to be in power.
It is also very important to recognise that we were engaging, we were talking to people, we were looking to see how we could put together another package and that work was ongoing even before the protests started.
Are you seriously trying to tell us that that package was not influenced by the protests?
I'm saying that the primary influence of what happened in that package was what happened in the world in terms of oil prices. We absolutely recognise and are listening to people all the time. There is a major problem in terms of the cost of fuel and government has recognised that.
That is why you have a three quarters of a billion package that is actually directly there addressing the main concerns around people who are heavy diesel users. but also a cut right across on the rates.
So is that everybody, because we also have to be cognizant of the fact that people are finding it difficult who are driving to work in their car, not just contractors who are driving in the tractor. And we have done that.
But these are time-limited measures. I mean, is there really any realistic prospect that you'll roll back on those measures, that you'll actually introduce the increase in carbon tax and all the rest of it? Because this is eating into a surplus when we don't know what's around the corner.
And I think that's very important actually to recognise that. And government is very clear in recognising that we don't know on the international political level what is around the corner. I don't think any government anywhere in the world does, including the United States government, know what is around the corner from one day to the next.
Yesterday was talking about tax cuts in the next budget. John McManus in the Irish Times is pointing out This is the time to manage expectations, not to feed them. It's lunacy, surely, to be talking about tax cuts at a time when we don't know what the budgetary position is going to be come October.
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