Simon Harris: “Protest is an important part of democracy. What's not allowed in any democracy is immobilising other people's movement…”

For thousands of first-time buyers, this is a scheme that has helped to bridge the gap to home ownership by making it easier to secure the deposit required to buy or build.

the move was a common-sense decision which gives households and businesses greater certainty.

What we have outlined in recent months is about making investing more accessible for ordinary families, not just the wealthy, bringing Ireland closer in line with European peers who have structures that help people make their money work…

But we cannot take that success for granted. Technology is transforming financial services, competition for investment is intensifying and the global environment is changing rapidly.