Mattie McGrath
Tipperary South · Independent · Ireland
“The loss of the double child benefit payment and other cost-of-living supports has come at a time when families are facing rising bills across every aspect of daily life. Parents are not just paying for education. They are paying more for food, energy, insurance, childcare and gach rud eile.”
“Parents also face substantial bills simply because they are required to buy specific items from a specific supplier. That is not fair and is not a balanced market either. There is no good reason that generic uniforms or PE clothing cannot be used in most cases.”
“Maidir le hUisce Éireann, cad a dhéanfaimid feasta gan uisce? The situation in south Tipperary has reached crisis point. Since January, the Ardfinnan regional water scheme has experienced 58 water supply interruptions, affecting 11,000 customers, while almost 28,000 homes and businesses were placed on a boil water notice in a single week.…”
“Music education is a perfect example. Some schools provide excellent music programmes and opportunities for students to learn instruments and participate in assemblies. Other schools offer very little.”
“I, too, am glad to be able to speak on this motion today. I compliment Páirtí an Lucht Oibre for introducing it. While we often the cost of education in terms of books, uniforms and transport, the reality for many families is that the financial pressures associated with rearing children have never been greater.”
“They say it would be great to have water to be affected by a hosepipe ban. Uisce Éireann is totally out of control. Two weeks ago, the Tánaiste gave me some hope here that the Government might do something. Uisce Éireann is not acting for anybody.”
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“There are many other affected families and there will be more. There obviously will be more accidents as the result of weather and everything else. The incident I am talking about was no accident. I hope the Bill will bring some solace.”
“Anne-Marie O'Brien and her dad have been up here several times. The lives of those they lost cannot be brought back, but they want a situation whereby if fatalities occur, proper, meaningful, well-resourced and qualified personnel will carry out investigations so other families will not have to go through what the O'Brien family has gone through for over a decade. I salute Ms O'Brien's tenacity and the way in which she has done all the research and fought for justice. Meetings with the Garda are still awaited. People who were on the sea and affected by the same bow wave came forward a year later. They volunteered to come forward to give evidence but the Garda never took that evidence. That is unacceptable. We need proper, robust legislation, and it will be a big pity if this legislation is not up to scratch.”
“If there is a fatality as the result of an accident on a road, the road is rightly closed off. The technical bureau is brought in and evidence is secured and stored. In the case in question, even the engine of the boat disappeared from Dungarvan Garda station. It was in safekeeping in a 24-hour compound but it disappeared. This was a bizarre incident. I will talk to the Minister of State about it another time. I hope that this legislation will bring some solace to the families of those two young men who went out on a rib for a day's fishing off Heilbhic Head. They went safely, but a bow wave from a big vessel turned them upside down. A whale watcher, who was 600 yards away, could hear them screaming for help. They were left in the water to drown. I am grateful for the work on this Bill and I thank the Minister of State for finishing it.”
“As I said, families are still waiting. The O'Brien and Esmonde families in Tipperary are still waiting for answers. They lost sons and brothers in a cavalier fashion. In fairness to former Deputy Shane Ross, he visited the family with me when he was Minister for Transport. Others have been waiting for much longer. This was 11, 12 or 13 years ago. There were no proper answers or investigations. We must have this legislation but it must be fit for purpose. If it is not, it is not worth the paper it is written on. There are accidents and tragedies, and even deliberate cases where a boat is capsized by a bow wave, which happened in the case to which I am referring. There was no proper investigation. There was nothing. No evidence was secured and saved, as would happen in any crime scene.”
“He was very understanding and engaging at the committee. There was significant resistance to the changes that are necessary. I do not know if this amended Bill will suffice, but it gives some hope to the many families all over the country who were left with no answers. As I said, former members of the MCIB are protected in this Bill when they should not have been on the board. We must have full transparency and accountability. A board is there to do a job and the vast majority of boards do. The fact that some members had no seagoing experience was a complete misfit. I am terrified of water because I nearly drowned when I was a buachaill óg, but I think anyone on the MCIB should have seagoing experience. That is a basic prerequisite. Board members in other jurisdictions have that experience. That is especially the case across the pond.”
“I welcome this legislation, including amendments Nos. 6 and 7, because it is long overdue. It relates to many families going back to the Whiddy Island disaster in Bantry Bay all those years ago. I came across a case in Tipperary about which I have spoken previously. I have raised it with several Ministers. It was bizarre that we had a Marine Casualty Investigation Board populated by people with no seagoing experience. One case I dealt with involved two young men losing their lives off Helvick Head some years ago. I first brought up the issue in the Chamber in 2017. This legislation is badly wanting, but the proof of the pudding is in the eating. I know that Michael Kingston, a maritime lawyer, engaged with the committee. I pay tribute to former Deputy Joe Carey, who was the chair of the committee, and I wish him well with his health.”
“For his sake and the sake of dozens of people like Colm Ryan who have ended their own lives since - it is so sad - we need to be able to do something for people who are struggling. Going to an accident and emergency department, such as the mad accident and emergency unit in Clonmel, is not an option. We do not have a single long-stay bed in County Tipperary. People who have psychotic attacks have to go to the accident and emergency service. It is not acceptable.”
“I wish both Ministers of State well. There is a big job of work to be done here. Mental health is just the poor relation. There are so many problems. CAMHS services are non-existent in Clonmel. Where services exist, some consultants - not a lot - are exploiting the situation by not treating patients in the public service and instead forcing them into the private service. Much investigation needs to be done there. We had local heroes. Colm Ryan was a famous gentleman from Ballymacarbry in the county of the Minister of State, Deputy Butler. He was a wonderful man who helped in so many areas, raised funds for so many issues and supported so many people. There was devastation when he ended his own life.”
“Tipperary now has 1,926 learner drivers waiting on a test. We have only one tester in Clonmel. Last week, that tester was out on badly overdue leave, which is fair enough, but the situation regarding tests in Clonmel is pathetic. The former Taoiseach, Deputy Harris, told me last year that the wait was ten weeks but it is now 28 weeks in Clonmel. This is not acceptable. People cannot get to their jobs, apprentices cannot get into work-----”
“There is a 24-hour vigil at the gate of the hotel. People there are very upset and that is why they continue that. They deserve to be consulted. I thought when we had a change of Minister or the Department, when immigration services went into the Department of Justice, that we might see some change in this situation and I still hope that we will. Money is being wasted. We were talking about money this morning.”
“The Tánaiste visited Clonmel some months ago when he met with Nora O’Dwyer and Andrea Crowe regarding Dundrum House Hotel and its use as a refuge for hundreds of people from Ukraine. They have been settled in and integrated into the community. Many work in the community. The Tánaiste made commitments that day to get back to them but they have not heard a peep since. Now we understand that this refuge has been changed over to the International Protection Accommodation Service, IPAS. There has been no engagement with the community. I spoke to the engagement team this morning who are expecting an announcement. There is angst, fear and upset because they had worked so hard on integration and the various services for the Ukrainians. They got on very well but now there is change without any engagement.”
“I raised this earlier during questions on promised legislation. I got a good response from the Taoiseach and the Minister, Deputy O'Brien. There are issues like that. It cannot be all Dublin-centric. There must be investment in rural Ireland. We have good people out there. We have proud people in Ireland willing to put their shoulder to the wheel. We saw that meitheal spirit in the recent storm incidents. I thank the Ceann Comhairle and the Government Whip for giving us some time here. We have parties here who want us to be silenced and we have so-called Independents, fake Independents I call them, in Independent Ireland who want to silence us also-----”
“We need a reform of the National Ambulance Service and we need a new ambulance space for south Tipperary as the one we have is chronic. There are many aspects of the programme that I welcome and support and I look forward to the change. I am quite pleased that the Government has taken Michael Ring's advice. It was gone too far liberal and too far left for far too long. We are back to basics, bread and butter - infrastructure and looking after people. The CAMHS service in south Tipperary is non-existent and there is the whole area of mental health. They are linked. There is also the frustration for people trying to get special needs places. I know everything cannot be done together but, working together, we will be able to achieve much. We badly need a bypass for Tipperary town.”
“One just mentioned is the Parteen to Dublin water pipe. They talked about €2 billion for that. Now it has gone to €10 billion before it even starts. We must get value for money. There is the 60-bed long-stay unit in St. Patrick’s site in Cashel that has not been delivered and Brigid's Hospital in Carrick-on-Suir that needs to be reopened. Then of course there is mental health. We do not have a single mental health long-stay bed in Tipperary. South, you pass to go to Kilkenny who are full and, north, you pass to go to Ennis. That is not fair. We also need the reinstatement of the borough councils because it was the best way of getting people into politics locally and serving their own people. It brought people on from that as well.”
“Ar an gcéad dul síos, ba mhaith liom comhghairdeas a dhéanamh leis an dá Aire. I wish them well in their new portfolios. I listened to the Minister, Deputy O'Callaghan, with great aplomb because he has stated quite clearly he is going to support An Garda Síochána and do a lot of work there. We all - every man, woman and child - must support An Garda Síochána. We need them so badly. Under the carer's badge I always wear here I mention Councillor Richard Molloy who was an unsuccessful candidate for the Seanad but did very well. He is the carers' support manager in south Tipperary. After a long time arguing about it, getting rid of the horrible means test is included, albeit over the five year programme. I welcome this. There are also so many other projects. What we really need to do is get accountability and stop the runaway projects.”
“We all know the song "It is a long way to Tipperary". I know it was a British World War song. It is a long wait for the people of Tipperary town, muintir Thiobraid Árann, for the bypass and for some measures to alleviate the huge problem of mainly trucks congesting the town on a 24-7 basis. We had hopes with the then Minister, Eamon Ryan, that this section of the N24 would have been completed around Tipperary to give us a relief road but nothing happened. This has to be included in the national development plan. We have to get this relief road for Tipperary town for the sake of the chamber of commerce, the business people and ordinary people to live, work and play in the town. The volume of trucks going through it is unacceptable. It is impossible to maintain the street and to live on it with the noise and air pollution.”
“The CEO of the company has stated that it might increase prices. This is another body blow to the businesses to which I refer. The ESB cannot be allowed to increase prices. It has insurance to cover its costs. It also has massive profits, which we have seen over the past decade. It has made gigantic profits. Business owners must have a fair and palatable scheme that is easily accessible. They are busy people. Many times they make these applications at night or when they are supposed to be having downtime with their families. They are trying to keep the doors open ag obair go han-chrua ar fad. It is very difficult for them to get onto these schemes. Some of them just give up and instead of being a power up grant, it is a complete turn-off.”
“They did what they were asked to do. Across the board, this should be clear-cut. I wonder whether some of these schemes are designed to ensure that we hold on to the money. Obviously, the pot of money is not big enough and we make it more difficult for people. Businesspeople are at their wits' end trying to do the books, keep their places safe and clean, meet health and safety and other regulations, pay wages, PRSI, VAT and insurance and meet the rising costs. These schemes only tinker around with the costs involved. The real problem is that the Government is not tackling the ESB or the energy companies. We have the second highest energy prices in Europe. That is unbelievable. We know the difficulties with the ESB, and I compliment everyone on their sterling work to get power back on for people.”
“I welcome the positive response from the Minister of State, but it needs to be dealt with. It is simply unfair that, for instance, the post office in Clonmel is getting the grant, while those in Fethard, Ballingarry or Killenaule are not. Small businesses in Ardfinnan and Clogheen might be getting it while those in Caisleán Nua, Ballyporeen and Cahir are not. I welcome the amount of money involved and the number of businesses that got the grant, but there is little solace for those who have been locked out of the scheme. The power up grant is a turn-off for those people. They are trying their best to access it. They are dealing with the county council. I again thank the officials who are helpful to them. People's frustration is palpable. They have been locked out because of a reclassification and incorrect criteria in the first instance.”
“The Minister, Deputy Burke, said before the election that this scheme would have to be reviewed and that it would be up to the new Government to review it. The ball is in the Minister or State's court now. I know he has an understanding of this issue. I have worked with him in the past. It needs to be simplified and made fair and accessible for all types of businesses. It must not be a case of one post office, shop or hotel getting access to the scheme and others being excluded. That is discriminatory and unfair. It beggars belief that in three roll-outs of this scheme, the Department has not corrected the anomalies or made an effort to ensure fairness, transparency and honesty for ordinary, hard-pressed businesspeople.”
“A plethora of businesses, such as launderettes, hair and beauty salons, post offices, filling stations and small hotels, are disallowed completely. These are just some examples of the businesses in my constituency that have been in touch with me about the scheme. It is not fair either to the good officials on Tipperary County Council and councils across the country who are trying to manage this scheme. They deal with frustrated business owners who are struggling to keep the lights on and the doors open, pay wages, VAT, tax and insurance and also pay rent to landlords. They are upset and annoyed, and often their disappointment and frustration can be taken out on the officials in question. It is unfair across the board.”
“That is unfair to the people who are locked out just because of a name or a criterion. Another issue in cases with which I have engaged are instances where a business pays its rates to the business property owner. That property owner in turn pays rates to the county council, as is correct, but there is no way for the person renting the businesses, who pays their rent and rates, to access the grant. That is totally unfair. The developer does not need it because he gets his rates anyway but the businessman is struggling to keep the doors open. He pays his rates to the property owner; sometimes there might be joint tenants in different parts of the building, so it is common. Surely, that must be tweaked to allow those people to get access to the scheme.”
“The first roll-out of this grant scheme was known as the increased cost of business, ICOB, grant. When issues arose with that, they should have been addressed by the Department before the second scheme. Now, the power up scheme has been rolled out. Why will the Department not simplify these schemes? They are rolled out with a big fanfare - they are welcome, and I welcome them - but they need to be accessed by businesspeople who are struggling, many of whom are locked out of them. For example, some post offices in my constituency got three rounds of cost of business support grants while others have been excluded purely because of misleading information on the application forms. The Department has not reopened the portal to allow businesses to reclassify their business correctly and avail of the grants.”
“Ar an gcéad dul síos, gabhaim buíochas leis an gCeann Comhairle, an Teachta Ní Mhurchú. I thank the Ceann Comhairle for choosing this Topical Issue this morning. The power up grant was introduced following budget 2025 as an apparent replacement for the Government's refusal to reduce VAT rates. However, the criteria the Department laid down to local authorities for this grant have proven unworkable and unfair and leave many businesses locked out of the scheme. It is ironic that this scheme is called power up when so many businesses are struggling to keep their power on, pardon the pun. I congratulate the Minister of State, Deputy Dillon, on his appointment. I hope he will change this. Simple issues like the classification of businesses at application stage should have been changed by now.”
“It is utter madness to destroy an old functioning water supply that has supplied Clonmel for hundreds of years, and this all in the name of modernisation. The standards that have been set are too high. That is the problem. The reservoirs are tripping out because it is all computerised and the standards have been set too high. They need to be examined by the Environmental Protection Agency, EPA. We need common sense to prevail. We need to keep the soft water and we do not need to destroy a perfectly functioning source that continues to supply the greater part of the town of Clonmel, the heart of Clonmel town.”
“The Minister of State referred to the website and everything else. It is lovely on paper but it is not functioning. Irish Water is not functioning as a utilities company and the sooner it is stood down, the better. No one from Irish Water will engage and those who will do not know what you are talking about. It does not want to take experience from retiring personnel who have offered to show people where all the connections and valves are. Irish Water knows everything, yet it knows nothing. There are none so blind as those who cannot see at all. The businesspeople and householders in the greater part of old Clonmel will not accept this because it will cost them a fortune. It will damage all their machines, including high-spec machines for catering, washing and everything.”
“I never suggested that the water in Monroe treatment plant was in any way unsafe. My office in Clonmel is on the Poulavanogue supply, the soft water. I think I look healthy enough. The water is perfect. It is State vandalism to dismantle a perfect scheme. It is a backup and it is being dismantled altogether. The pump supply had an outage this week. Clonmel was without water for nearly 50 days last year, maybe more. It is continually being interrupted. We have the Glenary supply, which I know well, the Poulavanogue supply and the Monroe treatment plant. The well will not last. Any household knows that wells run out and the source might go down. The failure of Irish Water to give answers about why the well stopped functioning a number of times in the past week is very worrying.”
“It is going to be bedlam for businesses and households. It is not acceptable to have a company like Uisce Éireann, which is answerable and accountable to nobody. That is why I wanted the Minister here today. I appeal to the Minister to bring Uisce Éireann in and to have somebody talk to it about the nonsense that is being carried on.”
“It is a fabulously crafted reservoir - built by the British army, I am sure - and it has stood the test of time. Now we are giving the whole town this hard water and depending on a borehole that will undoubtedly run dry, given the unexplained outages this week. Business people have sat down with Uisce Éireann. The manager of the Clonmel Park Hotel, Richard Gleeson of Gleeson's Pub and Nuala Hickey of Hickey's Bakery, which are long-established businesses, do not want this to happen because it will wreck and cause havoc to their equipment. Who will support them? They are already struggling businesses without having this mad, so-called solution. It is not a solution. Uisce Éireann has caused major disruptions all over the town in preparatory works to bring this new supply in, what with the digging up, changing and directing.”
“They expect to have water that is not going to destroy all of their equipment, much of which is high-spec equipment in cafeterias, hotels and other such premises. The same applies to householders. Already, the people north of the bypass in Clonmel are on hard water, have significant problems and face the cost implications of having to put in softeners and replace salts. Uisce Éireann will not even entertain the idea of putting in a big softener at source. We are begging it to leave the water supply alone. Why would one cut off one's nose to spite one's face and cut off a supply that is working? It is saying that it is because of the standard of water, but it has always been of a high standard and high quality. I salute Eugene Dargan, Mr. Hartigan before him and all the other caretakers who have looked after it. It was built by hand.”
“Uisce Éireann wants to stop all of that natural supply, which is supplying the businesses and households in the town, and to bring in water from Monroe 15 km away, which depends on a borehole and a pump. I understand that there have been two or three outages this week and that Uisce Éireann cannot explain why the well stopped. Sure, wells will stop. Anybody who has a house knows that wells will go dry and will stop in storms. Without electricity, wells are out. This new service will disconnect the gravity flow into the town. It is nothing short of insanity. With regard to the hard water, the chamber of commerce has expressed great concerns about the cost. Remember that all of the business people in Clonmel and everywhere else pay for their water, paying quite dearly for water in and water out.”
“Uisce Éireann is working on a €20 million project to move sections of Clonmel water consumers onto a different source. One might ask what is the big deal. The so-called solution includes upgrades to the water treatment plant at Monroe, improvement for a pumping station and a 15 km pipe that will see hard water, uisce crua, being brought into all parts of Clonmel. This is very hard water with lime in it. Currently, water for the whole heart of the town is coming from a Poulavanogue supply in Contae Phort Láirge, in Waterford, up the hill, which is gravity flow. It is a wonderful plant that has been working for 200 years or more. There is a reservoir at Ragwell that is lying idle now that used to provide a backup supply for the centre of the town.”
“Ar an gcéad dul síos, ba mhaith liom mo bhuíochas a ghabháil leis an gCeann Comhairle, an Teachta Ó Murchú for choosing my Topical Issue. I wish the Minister of State well in her new role, together with my good wishes to all of the Ministers who have been appointed, and I look forward to working constructively with them. However, there has to be a change in the practice of Ministers not coming to the Chamber to take Topical Issue debates. I met the Minister of State in the canteen and she told me that she was taking this Topical Issue. That is fine but this practice has crept in and it is unfair to Deputies. We expect to have the Ministers present to deal with issues so that they can get an understanding of them. It is not good enough, and I hope the practice changes in this Dáil.”
“There was a whole chamber cleared away. These areas must be maintained and we must ensure trees along the roadside also must be removed. A tree fell on me one time when I was a buachaill óg with my late mum and my brother. It was an awful experience. It was a summer's day. Any trees that are overhanging should be cut back.”
“We need that kind of approach, a meitheal approach, where people will support each other. The farmers of Ireland came out and showed that they care for the communities and they helped everybody in clearing trees and everything else. It was horrible work. Too much health and safety went out the window. They had to be careful - an-chúramach - with fallen wires and things like that. They are careful. Many of them are experienced in dealing with all kinds of situations and they took care. They made sure roads were opened and people could get out and get in. I really do sympathise and empathise with the people in very remote areas who are still waiting to get power back. Years ago, anywhere ESB lines went through forests, there was a clear-fell pathway. I had one in my own area when the ESB installed in the 1990s for a cousin of mine.”
“I, too, thank and praise the emergency workers, from all over the country and from overseas and Northern Ireland, but especially from the ESB. Those in the ESB always do their best in all kinds of trying situations. We will have to seriously examine this. I have spoken to the Taoiseach about it, regarding having hubs set up. Most villages have a GAA hall, a community hall or rudaí mar sin. Many of them now have, as the House will be aware, spaces for working from local hubs and everything else. We will have to equip these people or give them grants to purchase generators because one central hub could look after half the parish as regards charging phones, showers and such practical issues. Ní neart go cur le chéile is a great phrase, and at the centre, the meitheal.”