Sarah Harte: People are trying to figure out if they can live in a log cabin. How did we get here?

Our politicians' priorities in a time of polycrisis are alarmingly off. Is this distance between them and us how societal breakdown begins?

The Regional Independents Group (left to right) Kevin 'Boxer' Moran TD, Noel Grealish TD, Gillian Toole TD, Michael Lowry TD, Marian Harkin TD, Barry Heneghan TD and Sean Canney TD at Leinster House in January. Do politicians seriously think the speaking rights debate in the Dáil is what the electorate wants to hear about? File photo: Gareth Chaney / © RollingNews.ie

Muddled priorities aren’t in it. The new government’s out-of-touch indifference to our localised concerns is alarming. It raises the question of whether they have a firm grip on domestic or international issues.

I refer to the ill-judged, obnoxious speaking rights debate in the Dáil.