Sinn Féin spokesperson on Finance Pearse Doherty TD has responded to today’s Fiscal Assessment Report by the Irish fiscal watchdog.

Speaking today, the Donegal TD said:

“Today the Irish fiscal watchdog has confirmed that Irish living standards and real wages have fallen since 2021 under this government.

“As a result of the cost of living crisis, workers are now worse off than three years ago under Fine Gael, Fianna Fáil and the Green Party.

“Today’s report by the fiscal watchdog also makes clear that this government cannot be trusted with our health service.

“The report again states that the government failed to adequately fund our health service in the Budget, and bizarrely claimed that the pay bill in our health service would fall this year despite the public sector pay deal that was struck for this year.

“As the Council makes clear, this all points to a “failure of planning” by this government.

“This failure to plan by Fine Gael, Fianna Fáil and the Green Party is harming patients and our healthcare staff, leading to overcrowding in our hospitals and unacceptable waiting lists.

“As the Council shows, Ireland’s infrastructure remains well below the European average and has likely worsened in recent years, harming our economy now and in the future, with our chronic housing shortage set to persist while this government remains in office.

“The report also shows that public investment in housing and infrastructure will be lower than what was set out in the National Development Plan – this is at a time of a housing crisis and substantial infrastructure deficits.

“It is clear that this government cannot be trusted to fix our health service or tackle the housing crisis it has created.

“Where this government has failed, Sinn Féin would deliver for workers and families.”