But you could argue, Cahill, that if they believe in the right of people and artists to express, that banning from their playlists is hardly allowing them to express themselves, is it?

Yeah, well, look, there's no question that there is a deep connection between the people of Ireland, the people of Palestine, and that this is a very emotive issue for Ireland.

Irish people and political activism I think is something that should be encouraged.

I don't see anything wrong with what was said on the stage.

I think the reaction to it has been disproportionate when you look at the stadium in the US looking to ban the concert tour if Macklemore was still allowed to play and I don't think necessarily that that's the right approach.

The government has been very, very strong right across the Gaza issue.

looking to recognise the state of Palestine, condemning the war, condemning the attacks, looking to join the application in the South African court case for genocide.

But in reality, it has intervened by saying it should go ahead.

some kind of a credit against their bills?

Look, the government isn't against large-scale levies.

It brought in, off the back of the war in the Ukraine, a levy on energy profit excesses in the Dáil.

Only yesterday did Taoiseach said that that brought in about 200 million at the time.

So the government isn't against that.

Where we disagree is on the impact to the economy.

And the reality here is that...

And it's part of this subservience that we have with Irish governments and the tech billionaires and the broligarchy.

And the government is saying there's momentum now a new home starts.

The government has a clear target to get to 300,000 houses by 2030.

Today's announcement of an increase in 60% year on year in the number of people who have received planning permission for both houses, one-off houses and apartments, that's good news.

There's an increase in housing completion numbers of 11%.

And I think it's starting to show that the trend is in the right way.

We do obviously want to see in this budget continued measures like what was brought in last year with the reduction in VAT of construction in apartments and the removal of Corporation tax on cost rental apartments, which is 25% below market rent.

They're all clear, tangible steps that we're starting to see progress.

But in the next breath you said you agree that the system is broken.

It's one of

those Irishisms, you know, a subtle nod to Irish culture.

Yeah, look, when we're out and about and we're at tastings and events, a lot of people come up and we're fierce, mild, we're introducing ourselves and they're always like, which one's fierce and which one's mild? So we'll allow everybody to figure that out for themselves by the end of all this.

My background, I'm going to shock a lot of people now because I'm actually originally in finance.

And as the link between myself and Fergal spans back to our childhood days, we were in school together.

We sat beside each other in class.

Alphabetically, I'm Bern, Fergal's Carol.

You had the name and just like working with an illustrator to create that.

The progress is so slow on housing and on health, public transport, education, that people are saying, as Gabby says, I can't afford to wait three or four more years.

Well, first of all, I want to wish her the best of luck.

I was the youngest councillor in County Wexford, Wexford County Council, when I was elected back in 2019 for the first time.

And I know how difficult it can be serving on a local authority and the demands and the pressures that come with that, while also trying to balance a work life.

Obviously, I'm not sure that the housing issues in Australia are any better now.

than they are perhaps in Ireland.

But the reality at the moment is that we see 600 first-time buyers buying their house every week.

I just wonder how long it is before the system loses its legitimacy and people look at the whole system and say, this is not working.

Do we have the wherewithal to fix all those problems?

I think so, yes, and I think the government is hard at work, uh, in relation to them.

And, uh, look, this, this report recognizes the fact that the economy is growing but also says that there are risks there and that the spending that's been brought in in the next budget has to be targeted, and that's what the government, uh, will look to do.

The Critical Infrastructure Bill will have a dramatic effect on securing planning permission and driving forward those key large strategic infrastructure projects, and it will pass before the summer recess.

most incompetent government.

Yeah, I'd, I'd categorically reject this.

This is a government that has seen the highest rates of social welfare support for carers, support for the elderly, support for the most vulnerable.

It's record investment in housing, the most houses delivered in a quarter since records began in 2011, the first three months of this year.

Should they consider banning the advertising like Spain did?

... and data points.

Well, I think there'd be an opportunity as this progresses through the Dáil and the Seanad for amendments, and that's certainly something that the minister can look at.

But it's important to recognize that we're the first country in the EU to publish legislation.

As you correctly said, Spain, when they were doing this, did it by, uh, trying to put a ban on the prohibition on advertising of services.

That's very different to what we're trying to do with this legislation.

To suggest that services can be included-

There is, there is legal advice a- and that's it.