Michael Collins
Cork South-West · Independent Ireland · Ireland
“This matter has been raised twice already this morning, but it is hugely important. I will make a personal appeal to the Taoiseach regarding Skyclarys and the further delay that has now arisen. Yesterday, Emma O'Shea came to Leinster House from west Cork with her mother, father and brother.”
“Another huge problem which normally arises in August is that relating to school buses. Parents have no way to get their children to school because of the nearest school rule. The current and previous programmes for Government contain promises that this will be done away with, but nothing has happened. The rule needs to be abolished.”
“Every parent knows that September has become one of the most expensive months of the year. While free schoolbooks are welcome, many families now face growing costs for other items. Parents are being asked to purchase laptops that cost €400 or more, make increased payments for school transport and pay charges to cover examination fees.”
“Either 25 children are left without a school place this September, or two senior infants classes are merged into one class of 34 children. Does the Minister of State agree that schools should not be punished for helping to solve an enrolment crisis? Will he immediately sanction the additional teaching posts required for St.”
“Education should not be measured by means of the distance someone lives from school, and school transport should not be measured on that basis either. I want to raise a matter that Councillor Bill Clear brought to my attention. It is a very serious issue regarding St. Corban’s National School in Naas in County Kildare.”
“I was chairperson of a board of management and know the difficulties that schools face just because they are one or two children short. That can be made up as the year goes on but it is a crisis that Councillor Clear finds unacceptable.”
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“Also, for children with disabilities who have to travel to special needs schools, the lack of adequate drivers and vehicles and the lack of communication with the parents on when they will receive their transport is nothing short of shameful. This seems to happen at the start of every single school year and in some cases it continues on during the year. Parents cannot kick up for fear that they may lose their transport completely. With regard to people with disabilities, I want to reiterate that Independent Ireland firmly believes that the carer's means test needs to be abolished. I have consistently emphasised that point in the Dáil. It is a fundamental issue. These individuals are providing care to the most vulnerable in our society and they should at least receive the basic carer's allowance.”
“Last week it was reported that more than 14,000 children are waiting for an assessment of need. As is the same with everybody else I am sure, one of our constituents has a son who was diagnosed with a moderate intellectual disability and had an assessment of needs conducted in 2016. The family was informed he required psychological, speech and language, and occupational therapy but he has never received these services. It appears that the HSE is conducting assessments but is failing to deliver the required services. This situation is unacceptable and needs urgent attention to ensure that children receive the support they need.”
“We need a proper debate in the Dáil this week about damage caused by flooding in Ireland, especially in the past week, particularly in County Cork. The community in Ballinascarthy was flooded once again for the second time in two months, as was Dunmanway and Halfway. The River Bride also flooded in Blackpool. The main cause of this flooding is the lack of rivers being cleaned. They are full of muck and silt. A national river cleaning programme must be put in place immediately to save people's property and maybe their lives. We cannot kick this can down the road. Will the Government allow a proper debate this week in the Dáil so that communities like Ballinascarthy can be-----”
“I respect that I have not told the Minister about this question, but I ask her to work with us to make sure that the direct Bus Éireann service from Goleen to Cork will stay. She might contact the Minister for Transport on that issue.”
“Bus Éireann provides a once-daily service in west Cork from Goleen to Cork city. It leaves Goleen village at approximately 7.50 a.m and returns in the evening at 7 o'clock. Recently, Local Link Cork started a new three times daily in and out service in the Goleen area to Skibbereen, which is more than welcome. The only problem is doubts have now started to emerge that Bus Éireann will stop the Goleen to Cork morning link. As I said, it is the only direct link to Cork. This is at a time when we are all strongly advised to use public transport. It is terribly unfair that a service is provided - I do not think this ever happens anywhere else in the country but it seems to happen in rural Ireland - and then another service is taken away. That is not good enough. This service is a vital link for people.”
“If we could get a date, it would solve a lot of the issues going forward. People would know even if was in three or five years' time. When you sit down with Uisce Éireann, you do not know if is it ten or 20 years' time; you only end up with a whole load of waffle talk. I have named many communities in west Cork but this is a national crisis that we have shut a blind eye to. All of this has happened while all parties here, outside of Independent Ireland, read out unachievable targets. What do I say to the people of Goleen waiting 26 years, those in Ballydehob waiting 15 years, in Rosscarbery or Dunmanway waiting ten years or in Shannonvale waiting 27 years?”
“I thank the Minister. I raised three issues within Uisce Éireann. Regarding the generators, there was not even a switchover point in many of the plants that are there at the moment. If there was a switchover point and the emergency struck, they could bring a mobile unit in. Without it, they could not even plug it in. It is an astonishing situation. Apparently there are employees full time to organise this for the last number of years. The people of Ireland are calling out for accountability. I have asked the Minister for her solution for the people across the length and breadth of Ireland who have raw sewage pouring into their communities, but the answer she gave me will not be good enough for me to bring back to my communities to prove that they could at least get a date as to when works will start. That is the most important thing here.”
“Does the Minister agree that some communities, like Shannonvale near Clonakilty, that have raw sewage pouring into a once local playground, which is now blocked off by Uisce Éireann, should wait 27 years with still no response? Does the Minister agree with Independent Ireland's policy document that any communities that have five years of leaking raw sewage into drinking rivers, play parks or community gardens should have a start date for works? Will she tell me what her solution is to Uisce Éireann's mess?”
“They had been transferred to Uisce Éireann but have either gone back to the council or jumped ship and taken retirement, leaving Uisce Éireann shockingly short-staffed of good expertise that kept the show on the road in the local communities. Do those in management in Uisce Éireann care? No. They really do not give a damn because they are accountable to no one. They do not care when we run into problems, like blockages or others in communities, because it is collar and tie pencil pushers who are now running the show from the capital and to hell with the rural communities served by Uisce Éireann. I have named three areas in Uisce Éireann that need on the ground attention immediately.”
“In the recent storm, wastewater treatment plants were found to have no generators. Not alone did they not have generators, changeover switches had not even been fitted in any plants in case of an emergency. To pick the plant in Inniscarra in Cork as an example, imagine if it had an electricity shutdown for a number of days and there were no generators in place nor even any switches in place, in case they could take a mobile one in, as is the case. Every pharmaceutical company, every business, every private house owner and every hospital would be shut down, causing hundreds of thousands of euro in losses and possibly leading to millions. Another area where there is a major lack of confidence is senior employees in the council.”
“No matter how many meetings politicians and communities have with Uisce Éireann, you will not get one inch of information to give back to your community that might lead to a solution. I will mention a few: Goleen, Ballydehob, Rosscarbery, Shannonvale and Dunmanway. Those are just a few places in west Cork I can name. Dunmanway's wastewater treatment plant is bursting at the seams, has burst into the river, and has been doing so for years. We do not know if it is in ten or 20 years' time this treatment plant will be upgraded. In that much time those in Uisce Éireann keep twiddling their thumbs, not a house can be built in Dunmanway in what could be a thriving town, and this is the same the length and breadth of Ireland. Meeting after meeting between public representatives and Uisce Éireann yields zero, and this must stop now.”
“Uisce Éireann's strategic funding plan requirement was €11 billion in 2024, comprised of €6.1 billion investment in infrastructure and €4.9 billion in operating costs. While all spending has to be questioned, I will try to concentrate on what Ireland is getting for this huge budget. Every housing target that Fine Gael, Fianna Fáil, Sinn Féin, the Labour Party and the Social Democrats have set are nothing short of farcical. I will not use the word "lie" in the House, but what I will say is that they are misleading the public as none of the dream targets that all of them have set in housing can be achieved because of a major lack of infrastructure, which comes down to Uisce Éireann. We have a shocking mess on our hands and the Government will have to clean it. Wastewater treatment plants are creaking and bursting.”
“I would appreciate it if the Minister of State's reply were more specific as to where the jobs are being created because it looks as if the Department is very much concentrating on the city, which is hugely important, but has forgotten there is an area two hours west of Cork city where people would like job opportunities. There could be if there were just a little bit of vision and a common-sense approach.”
“I would appreciate it if the Minister of State could come back on that. Obviously employment is good no matter where it is. I know there are massive employers in Cork city such as Apple, the pharmaceutical companies and others. They are second to none and are to be always welcomed and secured. Many people are spending two hours in a car going up to Cork every morning to work and coming back to west Cork because there are no major employment opportunities in those areas. I picked Beara, Sheep's Head and Mizen Head, but I also have concerns about Drimoleague, Skibbereen, Clonakilty, Bantry and Bandon.”
“I see a wave of cars leaving west Cork every morning going to Cork city. There is nothing wrong with jobs in Cork city and I wish the very best of luck to everyone, but as the Minister of State said, 50 jobs were created in one area recently and there are another 115 following an investment of $126 million. What part of Cork were those jobs specifically assigned to?”
“I thank the Minister of State. I failed to welcome her to her new role when I spoke earlier. I wish her the very best of luck going forward. I was very specific in my question. I have raised the same question with the Minister of State's predecessor in the Dáil before, and I received a lot of answers but they were not specific to these places. I am very concerned, especially living on a peninsula myself, about the peninsulas and where the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment focusing on in areas such as the Beara Peninsula, Mizen Head and Sheep's Head. How is the Department creating jobs and what kind of jobs is it creating? These areas have had a downturn in agriculture because farming is going through a struggle at present. Fishing has been decimated in those peninsulas.”
“Will the Minister of State provide detailed information on the employment opportunities created by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment since 2024 in Cork South-West, specifically in areas such as the Beara Peninsula, Mizen Head Peninsula, Sheep's Head Peninsula and areas from Inishannon to Bantry? It is important that we create and are seen to be creating good jobs there for the people of that constituency.”
“In his reply, the Minister of State did not refer to the Whiddy Island disaster in any way, shape or form. I agree fully with Deputy Mac Lochlainn and I ask the Minister of State to consider meeting Michael Kingston, who is in the Public Gallery, at his earliest convenience to discuss the work he has been doing down through the years regarding Whiddy Island and other merchant shipping investigations. His expertise is renowned throughout the world. The families involved in the Whiddy Island disaster deserve someone to sit around the table and talk to them and Michael Kingston and others are best placed to do that. The Minister of State might give us an answer here today.”
“It will not bring much solace to the people who lost their loved ones but it would certainly be a move in the right direction. They deserve that and their families deserve that, regardless of whether they are French or Irish. I ask the Minister to consider this going forward.”
“I ask the Minister of State to look again at the Bill going forward and, while doing so, to work with us to at least bring about an apology from the State to the families of those who died in the Whiddy Island disaster, the 47 French and seven Irish individuals who lost their lives on that terrible night in Bantry. It is something the families have sought and pleaded for. They put their case as strongly as they could but they have been neglected and forgotten by the State. The Minister of State might be the person to make that change. We have a new Government. I pleaded with the former and present taoisigh to make that apology but it has not been made. I again ask the Minister of State to sit down with us going forward to at least bring about that apology.”
“There are fishermen who have lost their lives and a lot of mystery surrounds their losses. In speaking about the Bill, we need to concentrate on the past before we go forward. I ask the Minister of State to give some time and consideration to this. He might meet with the Bantry Whiddy Island group led by Michael to discuss the issues that need to be put to bed and resolved. The State needs to recognise that but it has not done so. It has refused to recognise this for the past 40 or 50 years. It is not good enough. It has hurt the relatives of innocent people who lost their lives, including a relation of mine who lost his life that night on Whiddy Island, as did Michael's father and many more.”
“He has spearheaded the campaign on this and other marine tragedies through the years, and no better person to do so. I pleaded with the Government to at least have the decency and respect to give an apology to the families affected by the Whiddy Island disaster. I have spoken not only to Michael but also to other family members. A lady in Drimoleague - I will not mention names, though I do not think she would mind if I did - asked me recently why nothing was ever done and they never got justice for their families. This is something that hurts people. The Bill as it stands could leave us in a similar situation to that we have visited before. I am surrounded by water and quite often bring up fishery issues in the Dáil because not many TDs want to speak about it, but there are fishing tragedies out there.”
“First, I congratulate the Minister of State on his new brief. It is the first time I have had the opportunity to do so in the Dáil. I wish him the best. When he held a ministerial role previously, we worked together very closely and I hope we can again work closely together on issues going forward. I have serious concerns with this Bill going forward. Lessons have not been learned. We need to go back before we go ahead. We need to talk about and look at areas where lessons have not been learned. The Whiddy Island disaster is the most important lesson anyone in this country could have learned, with 50 people dying off the coast of Bantry on 8 January 1979. I have brought it up on numerous occasions. I welcome Michael Kingston to the Visitors Gallery.”
“The future of AI business is not something to fear. I firmly believe that human endeavour, kindness and creativity is something that AI will never replace. In the areas of the arts and creativity, hospitality and healthcare, it will remain the case that a human touch will be essential. AI will not replace carers, nurses, domestic staff or those in hospitality. They cannot be replaced by AI. In politics, AI cannot replace a handshake or a chat at a clinic or doorstep. If we get this right, we will build an economy that is smarter, more efficient and ultimately more prosperous for everyone.”
“The reality is that some jobs will change and some will even disappear, but history shows us that every industrial revolution, whether it involved the steam engine, electricity or the Internet, has led to new opportunities, new industries and new ways of working. AI will be no different. Rather than trying to resist this new technology, we must focus on harnessing its benefits, streamlining operations, improving productivity and allowing businesses to grow. At the same time, we must negotiate the challenges, ensuring that workers are retrained, supported and given the tools to adapt to an evolving workplace. We firmly believe that AI can improve and enhance efficiency and potential. We know that businesses that embrace AI responsibly will lead the way in ensuring both economic growth and new ways of working.”
“I welcome the Minister of State to her new position. I wish her the very best of luck. Artificial intelligence is no longer a concept for the future. It is here and it is already transforming businesses across every sector. From automating routine tasks to analysing vast amounts of data in seconds, AI is driving efficiency, reducing costs and enabling businesses to innovate like never before. However, with change comes challenge. AI will have a massive impact on the workforce. It is our responsibility to ensure that this transition benefits everyone and not just a select few. We must embrace AI's potential while protecting workers wherever possible.”
“I agree that we need to invest in recruitment and continuous professional development for teachers and special needs assistants to ensure they are supported and meet the diverse needs of students in special classes, including addressing the root causes of the recruitment and retention crisis in the education and disability sectors.”
“After 12 months of waiting, he was seen and the OT recommended he have the use of an assistive technology to prevent him from falling behind his contemporaries. His father gave the assessment to the school only to be told the child would need to have an educational assessment. The school is only allowed one assessment for assistive technology per year. There are currently other students awaiting assessments and the lad may finish school without getting this assessment. That young boy is going to end up falling behind completely. That is the system we have right across the board.”
“Parents had to take to the streets of Bantry to win their right to get a classroom for their children, which is terribly unfair. Not so long ago in Kilbrittain, it was announced the early intervention classroom would be closed down. Parents and teachers had to fight to keep it open. They won but everything is a battle. This should not be the case. We should make sure those people are cared for first and foremost. Well done to the teachers in the early intervention classroom in Kilbrittain, for which I fundraised some years ago. While I could give many examples, much like other Deputies involving their constituencies, I will give just one. There is a young lad in primary school in Bandon who has poor handwriting skills and was referred to the HSE occupational therapist.”
“I congratulate both Ministers on their new positions and wish them the best. There are nowhere near enough special school places or classes in west Cork in my constituency. In cases where teachers suspect a child may have autism, there is a wait of 27 months to get an assessment. This is a serious issue for families who are left in limbo for 27 or even 28 months. Imagine that. We find ourselves in an astonishing situation in which children are being denied the help they need at an early stage. This affects their education and mental and physical well-being. Everything seems to be a fight for the most vulnerable people in society when they need help. Last year, children with special needs required a classroom in the local school in Bantry but they were refused.”
“While we must praise the efforts by everyone, including the Minister of State, that put that new state-of-the-art mental health unit in place and the staff are fantastic, we need a stand-alone mental health unit in Bantry because it looks to me as if everybody wants to treat the patient outside the unit. In the world in which we live, that might suit some people but it does not suit all. The unfortunate situation is that there are not enough bed spaces in the unit and this needs to be looked at.”
“While I have the floor, I must commend the Minister of State, Deputy Butler, on the mental health unit in Bantry. I fought the battle here to make sure we had a proper mental health unit and it has been built. I was given a tour. It is a fantastic facility. Mental health issues affect so many families, including my own, and today is the first anniversary of my nephew's suicide. That said, I want to touch on the concerns I have about the number of beds in the Bantry mental health unit. Maybe we lost a bed but it is not just that. The mental health unit in Bantry covers a vast area and this must be taken into account.”
“This affects their educational, mental and physical development. The Government's approach to mental health has also been criticised for its lack of a comprehensive long-term strategy. While funding increases are welcome, they must be part of a broader cohesive plan that addresses the root causes of mental health issues and ensures sustainable support for those affected. Suicide rates in Ireland remain a grave concern. In 2019, 2020 and 2021, Ireland's suicide rate was approximately 9.6 per 100,000 people. Although this is lower than some other European countries like Germany and France, it is still a significant issue that requires urgent attention. The impact on families and communities is profound and more must be done to provide support to prevent these tragedies.”
“I welcome both Ministers of State to their positions and wish them the very best. One of the most significant criticisms concerns the persistent underdevelopment of mental health infrastructure. While the Government has announced initiatives such as the expansion of child and adolescent mental health services, CAMHS, and the development of new specialist teams, the reality on the ground often tells a different story. Long waiting lists, insufficient staffing and inadequate facilities continue to plague the system, leaving many without the timely support they desperately need. Children suspected by teachers of having autism are having to wait 27 months to get an assessment. This is a serious issue for families left in limbo for 27 months and it also prevents the child from getting the help needed at an early stage.”
“We will have a debate on Thursday about the importance of agrifood to the Irish economy and I call for an extension of time on that debate. Some Deputies will only have one minute 35 seconds to discuss this. We have a lot of issues relating to agriculture that need to be discussed, especially the highest level of TB in a generation in this country - it has gone up 44%. Irish agriculture is off the agenda here and it needs to come back on the agenda. Farmers are telling me that they are emotionally stressed and financially stressed. Their cattle are going down in the yard. They are going into factories killing clear. There has to be an answer to this crisis that has taken 41,000 cattle from the yard in the past 12 months and left no answers to farmers.”
“If someone gets caught behind a tractor or lorry he or she will be there for the whole of the 29 km without being able to pass and the same applies to the road between Clonakilty and Bandon. It is an astonishing situation in which we find ourselves in west Cork because there has been a lack of investment for years and years.”
“We are pleading for a little bit of consultation and a huge amount of common sense which is missing in this entire conversation. The L road speeds have gone down. There is no issue with that and hopefully it will save lives, deservedly so. I live in a place west of Schull and there is a road across from me that is 80 km/h that you could not do 40 km/h on. Common sense would say that. It had to come down and I have no issue with that. I am only asking about the R586, R585 and even N71 and that there at least be some consultation and that it not just be done as a blanket ban and walked away from. If that is what happens it will just lead to outrage. I know of where there is a road of 22.4 km between Clonakilty and Skibbereen, on the N71.”
“We are asking that at least public representatives, be they councillors, TDs or Senators, have some bit of a say and speak to someone but there is no one to speak to because the Government says it is local authorities, the local authorities are kicking the can down the road and shoving it on to someone else. Then there is Deputy Paul Murphy. I do not like to speak of Deputies when they have gone out of the Chamber but he is saying “You shouldn’t have an electric vehicle. You shouldn’t have a fossil fuel vehicle. You shouldn’t have an SUV vehicle” because he lives in Dublin and he probably cycles around Dublin so he expects people to do business in rural Ireland on a push bike. Well, we live in the real world - he lives in a fantasy – and the real world means that business has to be done.”
“If there are roads where there is a situation that is dangerous then yes, the limit could come down. The road between Bandon, Dunmanway, Drimoleague and down into Bantry is the main route into west Cork. Is the Government going to take the limit down? Parts of that road are 80 km/h and some parts 60 km/h. Good God almighty, a bicycle would pass people on the road. That is insane. It will close businesses in west Cork. It cannot happen. Common sense has to come into play. If there is a stretch of that road that is dangerous and it is 100 km/h then it should come down to 80 km/h. If there are stretches of the road that are safe and have never been a danger it should remain at 100 km/h. We are asking for a common sense approach here.”
“There are sometimes fatal accidents, but that has not been the case in more recent times. If there are black spots, we should by all means drop the speed limit but there should not be a blanket drop. The local authority has been telling Independent Ireland councillors Danny Collins, Daniel Sexton, John Collins and Ger Curley it is not its decision but TII's. The Minister of State, Deputy Byrne replied to me for six minutes instead of the Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien because he was busy. He came before the Dáil and said it was not a decision for a Government or anyone else; it was only the local authority. The local authority has replied to my own councillors in question and said it is not its decision. It is an absolute calamity. Nobody knows who is in charge of the roads.”
“I have often raised the issue of speed limits this week. I was on two radio programmes this morning explaining the situation and the crisis we in west Cork find ourselves in. There are so many roads, including local roads, and we did not have an issue. There will always be someone complaining. We accept that many of the speed limits had to move from 80 km/h to 60 km/h. I sympathise with anybody who has been involved in a traffic accident and anyone who has suffered injury or death as a result of traffic accidents. For many regional roads, the speed limit should be reduced from 100 km/h to 80 km/h. There is no problem with that. The R585, the R586 and the N71, however, are the main thoroughfares into west Cork. We cannot accept a blanket drop in speed limits. Thankfully, there are not many serious or fatal accidents on the roads.”
“I hope he will address some of the damage done, in particular since Brexit when 25% of the fishermen's quotas were given away. All we received in return was a dirty decommissioning deal. In my constituency, Castletownbere is one of our largest fishing ports. It beggars belief to drive to the pier and see boats offloading, not one of which is Irish. I also remind the Minister of the statutory instrument assigned to bring in penalty points for our fishermen. I hope with the new Minister for fisheries that things will change. I will work with our new Minister for fisheries and I can to make sure to help the forgotten industry. I hope this is not a case of jobs for the boys. While I wish Ministers are very best, they have to show that they provide value for money to the country. It seems we are overshadowed completely by Ministers.”
“In 2020, when I requested a stand-alone Minister for fisheries, I was informed by the Taoiseach that no new ministerial positions could be created. However, Pippa Hackett was later appointed to such a position. This deal means that more Ministers will be appointed. It is amazing how that can happen. We should have had a Minister for fisheries, marine and the islands. This time there is a Minister for fisheries and the marine, which I welcome. I will not discredit that. It is good to have it. I am pleased have a Minister for fisheries, after many years of waiting for that. I am disappointed that the position was not given to somebody from a fishing constituency. Nonetheless, I look forward to working with the new Minister for fisheries.”
“While it is beneficial to have Ministers, it would be greatly appreciated if these Ministers realised they were Ministers for the State and not Ministers for their own constituencies. When they come to constituencies, they fail to inform all of the local TDs they are arriving. They obviously put on the jersey here as being Ministers for the State, but when they get into a constituency they become Ministers for Fianna Fáil or Fine Gael depending on the party they are representing. While I believe it is important for our Ministers, Taoiseach and Tánaiste to engage with the American president to strengthen our relations, it is crucial to minimise unnecessary expenses. We cannot afford to waste money, especially when many homes in Ireland struggle to keep the lights and heat on. It is not justifiable to spend on unnecessarily luxuries.”
“I will beg the indulgence of the Ceann Comhairle to welcome Ryan McKeown and Zoe Bell to the Gallery. In 2025, super junior Ministers in Ireland receive a total annual salary package of approximately €200,000. Junior Ministers have an additional ministerial salary of €45,846. There is a super junior allowance of €16,000 and an additional travel allowance worth up to €32,535. The public need to get value for their money with these Ministers. The public is increasingly concerned about the wasteful spending occurring in the Dáil. Recent examples include a bike shed with an estimated cost of €335,000, a security hut costing nearly €1.4 million and a wall at the Workplace Relations Commission headquarters costing nearly €500,000.”
“Ask the main developers in this country what is wrong with the country. It is infrastructure, whether sewerage, water or electricity. We cannot deliver, end of story, but we will keep pouring out figures. Independent Ireland were the only party to say we would not give any figures on how many houses would be delivered in this country. We were the only party to stand by the principle of not making fools of the people. Every other party in this Dáil made fools of the people because they could not deliver and they did not have their homework done. We were criticised about that. I have a lot of issues with the programme for Government but we will deal with those at a later stage.”
“They are cafés, restaurants or whatever, and it does not seem to resonate within Fianna Fáil. Fine Gael is supposed to be arguing with Fianna Fáil that it is interested in doing it. Look at the housing plan. I look at all the housing plans and listen to all the predictions from Sinn Féin, the Labour Party, the Social Democrats, Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael. The whole thing was dreaming. They were leading the people astray because they could not deliver. The programme for Government will not deliver because the infrastructure is not there. Deputy O'Donoghue explained that in detail and there is no better person to do so. The infrastructure is not there, so we cannot deliver the houses. The Labour Party has promised 1 million houses. I do not what Sinn Féin or the Government has promised but none of those promises are achievable.”
“All of a sudden, we have an epidemic of TB that is there forever and a day but it is a handy way, in my view, to get rid of animals. It is a backdoor system of destroying Irish agriculture and farmers. We wanted to put those proposals before the Taoiseach. He was not interested, which is fair enough. He is entitled to that. He has gone with no policies because he can get a deal across the line with ministerial positions or whatever. That is fine. However, look at the issue of a 9% VAT rate. I am not very clear about the 13% VAT rate going to 9% but it is part of the programme for Government. I asked the Taoiseach last week when that will happen and if it will be straight away. I have not got a straight answer, so we are still in a crux, with 612 businesses having gone bust over the last 12 months.”
“Deputy Martin did not understand that, and he does not seem to understand or recognise that people are suffering on the ground. We proposed to abandon the unachievable and destructive net zero target. We know where that is going at this present time; it is going nowhere. It was a green agenda that caused serious destruction to this country and it cannot be achieved. Making Ireland a global leader in green tech came out in our policies, as did no longer following ineffective and often harmful policies that are not fit for purpose. The Taoiseach did not read that, did he? We proposed to ensure climate action does not destroy Irish food. We have concerns about the Mercosur deal. We also have concerns about the nitrates directive. We see how many thousands of cattle are being destroyed in this country. It is astonishing.”
“On the programme for Government, I listened with interest to the Taoiseach, Deputy Micheál Martin, saying the reason we would not go into Government with Independent Ireland was our climate plan. I am amazed that he went into Government with Independents who had no policies put in place. That is astonishing. It looks like they wrote them on the back of an A4 page a couple of days before the formation of the Government to cover Deputy Martin's back. It is astonishing that he really did not look at our policies because if he did, he would see a reference to freezing and reviewing all fuel taxes. Obviously, that is the carbon tax. We did not say it would be withdrawn completely. We just said "freeze" because people are suffering at this time.”