I will start with a few simple budget-related questions. The Minister's starter, for five points: who said, in March 2017, that Ireland will achieve its target of ending reliance on hotels and bed and breakfast accommodation for long-term accommodation for homeless families by July 2017? That was the Minister, Deputy Coveney. The next question for ten: who said in 2016 that Fine Gael in government would abolish the universal social charge, USC, in that Dáil term? That was the Taoiseach, Deputy Varadkar. Question No. 3: does the Minister know what a food library is? The Minister can nod or shake his head. A food library? No? The Cork Penny Dinners charity is now rolling out food libraries in schools and crèches across that city. These are mini food banks that include rice, pasta, tins of beans and tins of peas. They are displayed on shelving in discreet areas. Hard-pressed parents can avail of these without having to reveal financial difficulties to teachers and principals. This is in Ireland in 2023, under the Government. What will the budget include for those families? Some of them struggle with mortgages.

There have been ten interest rate increases. For people on trackers and variables, it is like being put on a rack and stretched. The Government should cap mortgage interest rates and make the banks that it privatised cover the costs from their superprofits.

On gas and electricity charges, the ESB, a company owned and controlled by the State, yesterday announced half-yearly profits of more than €600 million. Here is an opportunity to slash gas and electricity prices, not by 15%, not a trim but a major cut, and to tell the ESB it is to operate on a not-for-profit basis and pass the profits on but no, the Government defends those profits and leaves the energy bills sky high.

The Government is a government with no vision. A socialist government, looking at a €65 billion surplus over four years, would spy a real opportunity to put in place transformational change in Irish society, strong public services the likes of which we have never had, free State-run childcare, free public transport, a State construction company to build a big increase in social and affordable housing and a one-tier national health service free at the point of entry, but the Government sides with the millionaires rather than the millions and then squanders the rest of it, sprinkling a bit of dust here, a bit of dust there, on this and on that, trying to buy a few votes and to sneak the next election.

We want a budget for the millions, not for the millionaires. We want real change, not spare change. How can the Minister defend the Government's plans for a status quo budget when the country is crying out for real change?

I am not sure what kind of response the Deputy wants there because he asked a whole load of questions and then answered them. Maybe I will just respond to the overall tenor of what the Deputy is saying.

First, the Government more than recognises the pressure that families and homes are under in terms of cost of living increases. We responded in last year's budget and, indeed, had another package at the early part of this year. In total, we committed €12 billion of public money to support vulnerable individuals through social protection supports and, indeed, households in terms of reducing their energy bills and so on. We also have a budget in three weeks' time where the Government will, again, prioritise cost of living pressures and respond to that in terms of once-off payments between now and the end of the year and, of course, ensuring that we spend money appropriately in a way that targets those who need it most next year. Whether that is housing, healthcare, disability, social protection, pensions or supporting people on fixed incomes, the Government has been focusing on all of those things for a number of months in preparation for the upcoming budget. The parameters for that budget were laid out in the summer economic statement by both finance Ministers, and by the Minister, Deputy Michael McGrath, in particular, and while some are criticising the Government for committing to spend too much money, the Deputy is criticising the Government for not spending enough.

In my view, a socialist government that the Deputy would like to be part of would be a disaster for this country, would result in increased unemployment, a collapse in business and enterprise activity and would reduce and fundamentally undermine the financial resources this country has to support the people the Deputy claims to protect and represent. I hope and am confident that people will be far too wise to believe the kind of false uncosted and unfundable promises that the Deputy proposes here this evening and that he raises on a weekly basis.

The Government is planning on providing people with less assistance than it did last year. Despite its little spat with the financial advisory council, the Government, the council and the entire bourgeoisie are united in telling people to lower expectations and to prepare for another drop in living standards. Listen to what the Minister for Finance said yesterday.

Here is a final point, while I am at it. Thirteen years ago, a Fianna Fáil finance Minister introduced the hated universal social charge. It should not be called the USC; it should be called the HUSC - because that is what people call it - the hated universal social charge.

Seven years ago the Taoiseach made the pledge that was subsequently broken. I referred to that earlier. Now the Government is talking about cutting it next month. The Minister must read the room, and should read the polls while he is at it. The people do not want it cut. They want it gone; abolished. The income loss to the State could be made up by taxing wealth, something that the Minister and the Government consistently refuse to do. A 10% higher income social charge on individuals earning €90,000 or more per year could make up more than half the lost ground. A socialist government would do it. Over to the Minister, what does he say on the issue?

We already tax wealth in Ireland. The people who earn the most pay the most. Every year, we have an independent assessment of how progressive the Irish budget is. Every year we compare well with most other European countries in terms of making sure the people who have the least get the most, and the people who have the most pay the most. That progressive approach will continue this year. We also need to recognise that many middle income earners in Ireland also need a break. These are the people who through their taxes pay for everything, and are above virtually every threshold for supports that come from the Government.

Will the Government abolish the USC?

That is why we already have reduced USC payments in recent years, and widened tax bands to allow people keep a little more of the money they earn. Since about 2015 or 2016, somebody earning €40,000 per year pays about €3,000 less in tax than they would previously. That is because we want people who work hard to be able to hold on to a little more of their own money, while at the same time ensuring we have a significant tax take that can support the many other areas the Government needs to support, in particular vulnerable people in difficult circumstances.