Danny Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the witnesses from Irish Rural Link and the credit unions and I thank them for their presentations. I concur with much of what Mr. Boland has said on the problems we face in rural Ireland and the problems that farmers and SMEs face in accessing funds to expand their businesses and provide employment. It is sad to hear that the creation of jobs in rural areas is in decline but we already knew it. I know of one school on the Iveragh Peninsula where only two new children presented this year for enrolment.

I agree wholeheartedly with the comments on the carbon tax. It does little and hurts people in rural areas. We all know about the cost of fuel. The price of diesel has increased to more than €1.50 a litre and petrol is also expensive. We cannot move anywhere in rural Ireland without a car and that is a fact. The provision of rural transport and service expansion is not happening; rather it is declining. A few months ago, the Minister, Deputy Ross, stated he would provide transport and expand services in rural places but this is not happening. There are eight services in Kerry. To explain how the Government boosts up things and tries to gain credit for what it is doing, one of these services is to take a group of card players from Cloghane to Brandon once a month. This is what the Government boasted about. It is ridiculous to think such a service is provided in return for what is being taken from the people. People in rural areas are hurting because of all the restrictions and regulations.

When we think about increasing the carbon tax and the effect this has, if we were to be totally emissions free in this country 0.13% is all the difference it would make in the worldwide context. We see people in Japan and China who cannot see their noses with fog and smog and every other thing. They are not complying with any agreement or climate change proposal. We are a small little country. It is especially hurting rural areas, when we think of Bord na Móna having to shed 500 jobs in the heart of the country. In a few more years it will be totally closed down. There are no proposals to replace these jobs. Bord na Móna said it knew it was coming down the line for the past six or seven years. What proposals are being put in place to replace these jobs? It is amazing to think that Fine Gael, Fianna Fáil, Sinn Féin, the Green Party and many others are backing these proposals and saying nothing about the 500 jobs being lost. If it happened in any other part of the world there would be uproar in the Chamber. Everyone has agreed on climate change and the penalisation that must take place and Bord na Móna set about it. Perhaps someone besides myself raised the matter of losing 500 jobs in the heart of our country. Down in Kerry people are concerned when they see what is happening. They know it will not be too long before they will not be allowed to cut a sod of turf to keep themselves warm.