Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I support what the previous Deputies said. It is horrible what is happening with the rogue industries and rogue operators that are in this. In general, they are very well mannered and well operated. There are some great operators and excellent staff. They did and are coming to the fore. For instance, our hospitals could not and cannot function without them. Unfortunately, they are needed for security and everything else, which is a recent phenomenon. They also provide security on public transport and everywhere, including public Government buildings. They are on such a paltry sum and are not getting due recognition and they did not get it in the budget either. I want to support them.

I compliment them on actually holding that briefing. Unfortunately, I was late and when I got there it was finished. There are many people in my constituency who do great work and work for good companies and good employers. However, there are rogue areas that need to be dealt with. The authority looking after them is in Tipperary town, but I have met with them because there are rogue elements. They do not have proper attire, proper numbers, identification or anything else. However, that is for another day. We need to support them. Also, the retained fire officers need to be supported.

It beggars belief that these people who operated throughout Covid, and many HSE staff as well, still have not gotten the €1,000 they were promised. We stood up and clapped for them in the Dáil. It is only six and half weeks from Christmas. It is just unthinkable that it is bureaucracy or something else that is holding it up so that they cannot get the money they are entitled to get and worked so hard for at a time when there was fear and many of us were at home. They put their heads on the line, went out, shouldered up, manned and womaned up, and did their work and they are entitled to be paid for it. It is appalling that in the sectors of security, as I said, retained firemen and HSE attendants and some nurses as well in nursing homes still have not got it.

Regarding this section, there is huge disappointment in the music industry that there was not something they went to bat for, mainly for small bands of one or two people. Across the industry and certainly in the case of smaller musicians, people had a horrid time throughout Covid and are finding it difficult to get back up on their feet, notwithstanding the schemes that were there, which they accept and appreciate. However, we are now in a different era and things have changed. We have the second highest VAT rate in Europe. People expected that they would get recognition with lower VAT rate in the budget, but they did not.