Paul Murphy warns government 'represents the rich' amid crises
Paul Murphy criticised the government's handling of the cost-of-living, housing and energy crises, arguing it represents corporate and landlord interests. He cited profit increases at major companies, rising billionaire wealth, rent hikes and energy poverty, and called for a left government excluding Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael.
Corporate profits and landlord gains
Paul Murphy highlighted recent profit figures to illustrate who is benefiting. He said the big five energy companies announced increased profits of €280 million in the last year, the big five food companies increased profits by €174 million, and I.R.E.S. REIT increased profits by €67.5 million - a 16% rise. He added that other corporate landlords and electricity companies showed similar gains, and that billionaires in the country increased their wealth by €15.5 billion since 2020.
Impact on renters and households
Murphy argued that ordinary people are not sharing those gains. He said renters face effectively 10% year-on-year rent increases, one in three people live in energy poverty, and low and middle-income workers are seeing their income eroded as prices rise out of control.
Response to government remarks on elections
Responding to comments by the minister that ‘‘everyone he speaks to is terrified of an election’’, Murphy said the ordinary people he speaks to are not afraid and would welcome an election. He framed an election as an opportunity to remove Fianna Fáil and Fianna Gael from government.
Call for a left government and policy change
Murphy urged parties on the left to commit to a government without Fianna Fáil or Fine Gael and to rule out coalitions with those parties. He called for an eco-socialist government that would represent renters and workers, tackle the climate crisis, and stop representing the interests of the rich as he accused the current government of doing.
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I think the government is doing a great job for those it represents. You look at the big five energy companies, they have announced increased profits of €280 million in the last year. The big five food companies increased profits of €174 million in the last year. I.R.E.S. REIT, the largest landlord in this country, increased profits of €67.5 million, 16% increase. All the other corporate landlords are the same, the electricity companies are the same, and collectively, if you look at the billionaires in this country, they have increased their wealth by €15.5 billion since 2020. The government represents those who are profiting from the cost of living and the housing crisis. Those people are doing extremely well. The crisis for ordinary people is an opportunity to profit for those that the government represents. The government does not very clearly represent the interests of renters, who are faced with 10% year-on-year, effectively rent increases. The government does not represent the one in three people now, who are living in energy poverty. The government does not represent low and middle-income workers, who are seeing their income effectively eroded, day after day after day, with prices out of control, and the government doing absolutely nothing to tackle them. I.R.E.S. REIT, I heard Minister O'Donovan on the radio this morning talking about the motion, and the Minister said everyone he speaks to is terrified of an election. I.R.E.S. I suggest, Minister, you might try speaking to some people who are not government ministers or backbenchers. It might help the perspective of the government if you would speak to some ordinary people out there. Because the people I speak to, they are not terrified of an election, not at all. They would like to see an election and an historic opportunity to kick out Fianna Fáil and Fianna Gael to establish for the first time ever in this country a government that is not run by one of the two traditional capitalist establishment parties and the conservative ideas that they represent. I.R.E.S. I.R.E.S. I.R.E.S. I.R.E.S. I.R.E.S. I.R.E.S. I.R.E.S. I.R.E.S. I.R.E.S. I.R.E.S. I.R.E.S. If Fianna Fáil or Fianna Gael are part of the government, they will continue to represent the same interests, the developers, the corporate landlords and the big corporations. What we need to have, and what we need to fight for, is a left government without Fianna Fáil or Fianna Gael. And all those parties that say they're on the left should commit to that, to rule out coalition with Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, to fight for a left government, a government with eco-socialist policies that would actually represent the interests of renters, of workers, that would tackle the climate crisis and not represent the interests of the rich as this government does.
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