Dáil debates

Tuesday, 4 November 2008

Financial Resolution No. 15: General (Resumed)

 

9:00 pm

Photo of Brian O'SheaBrian O'Shea (Waterford, Labour)

Ba mhaith liom mo chuid ama a roinnt leis an dTeachta Liz McManus. Ba mhaith liom déileáil ar dtús leis an dá ábhar as a bhfuil mé freagrach mar urlabhraí, an Ghaeilge agus cúrsaí cosanta. Bliain ó shin, ar an 31 Deireadh Fómhair 2007, dúirt an tAire Gnóthaí Pobail, Tuaithe agus Gaeltachta go raibh fochoiste Rialtais á chur ar bun chun déileáil le todhchaí na Gaeilge sa Ghaeltacht. Dúirt sé freisin gur chreid sé gurb í seo an chéad uair go raibh coiste den sórt seo ar bun sa Stát.

An lá céanna, foilsíodh an staidéar teangeolaíochta ar úsáid na Gaeilge sa Ghaeltacht. De réir an staidéir sin, gheobhaidh an Ghaeilge bás mar phríomh theanga na Gaeltachta taobh istigh de 20 bliain, muna gcuirtear beart raidiciúil in áit chun cosc a chur leis an meath. Dúirt an tAire Ó Cuív go n-aontódh an fochoiste plean gníomhach taobh istigh de bhliain. Bhí dhá chruinniú ag an fochoiste ó shin, ceann amháin ar 10 Aibreán agus ceann eile ar 23 Iúil. Tá súil agam go n-aontóidh an Rialtas an plean gníomhach roimh an Nollaig agus go bhfoilseofar é. Tá straitéis 20 bliain don Ghaeilge á ullmhú ag an Roinn agus deireann an tAire go bhfuil sé ag súil go mbeidh sé ag an Rialtas roimh deireadh na bliana.

Fáiltíonn Páirtí an Lucht Oibre roimh an dá bheart seo atá idir lámha ag an Rialtas. Ach, sna Meastacháin don Roinn Gnóthaí Pobail, Tuaithe agus Gaeltachta, faoin teideal Gaeltacht agus Forbairt na nOileán, tá gearradh siar i 2009 de 14%, ó €105 milliún go dtí €91 milliún. Níl aon airgead breise ar fáil chun moltaí phleananna gníomhacha don Ghaeltacht a chur i bhfeidhm, cuma cé chomh raidiciúil agus atá siad.

Cé go bhfuil méadú ó €5 milliún go dtí €9 milliún in áit eile sna Meastacháin don Ghaeilge, sin do Choiste na Gaeilge, níl aon mhéadú eile le feiscint a chabhródh le moltaí na straitéise 20 blian a chur in áit. Tá sé soiléir nach bhfuil an Rialtas i ndáiríre i dtaobh todhchaí na Gaeilge ar chor ar bith. Tá baol ann freisin go gcuirfí Údarás na Gaeltachta isteach faoi bhráid an IDA. Níl an tAire sásta a rá nach dtarlóidh seo.

The Minister for Defence will close five military establishments as part of the cost-cutting measures in the budget. The four Army barracks to be closed are in Longford, Lifford, Letterkenny and Monaghan, while St. Bricin's Hospital in Dublin is also due for closure. There could hardly be a worse time for selling these properties. Will we repeat the mistake of 1998 when the State spent £1,400 per week on private security to protect four vacant barracks? Serious questions arise as to what will be the net gain to the State from the eventual disposal of these five military establishments when one takes into consideration, among other issues, payments for relocation to which the 650 soldiers affected are entitled. At a time when the retail trade is being hit hard by the recession, the withdrawal of funding from local economies will compound the problem.

According to the most recent figures available, 7,817 people were on the live register in for County Waterford on 30 September 2008. The comparable figures for 2007 and 2006 were 5,303 and 5319, respectively. The number on the live register increased by 47% or 2,500 people in the year to the end of September. Unfortunately, all the indications are that the October figure will be considerably worse than the figure for the previous month.

This brings me to my major criticism of the budget. Following the September returns by the Department of Finance, it was projected that the shortfall in tax revenue for the year would be €6.5 billion. This is probably an optimistic forecast because it is probable that we will have another budget in the new year. It has been suggested, for example, that the shortfall could be as much as €9 billion. In such circumstances, it is vital that we plan and prepare for the eventual upturn in the global economy.

Under the rainbow coalition, which has been written out of history by Deputies on the benches opposite, the economy enjoyed good growth and, more important, it was export based. The problem we are experiencing is that the traditional industrial manufacturing base is being eroded, the construction industry is in serious decline and the tourism sector is experiencing difficulties. The questions no one is addressing are from where new employment will come and on what areas we must focus to move ahead.

Henry Ford once said that thinking is the hardest work which is probably the reason so few people do it. Thinking and vision are lacking in the budget. We need to apply ourselves to the future and make investment decisions in order to be prepared when the upturn takes place. In that context, nothing is more important than education. All relevant studies show that those who are educated do best, earn most and enjoy the best opportunities. Upskilling is, therefore, a key issue.

In my constituency and all the constituencies in the south east, including that of the Minister of State, Deputy John McGuinness, the issue of greatest concern is the need to establish a university in the region. This issue was not addressed in the budget. In answer to a parliamentary question tabled a few weeks ago, the Minister indicated a decision would be made in the coming weeks on applications submitted by three institutes of technology in Dublin, Cork and Waterford to have their status upgraded to that of university. The absence of a university in the south east is holding back the region, which continues to suffer from the loss of traditional industrial jobs. Unless the south east has the capacity to develop jobs in the knowledge economy based on top class research and development, its future will be bleak.

The university of the south east being sought by my region differs from that being sought in Cork and Dublin. The concept is based on a hub campus in Waterford with satellite campuses throughout the region. While this is a novel proposal, it will undoubtedly work. There is a general conviction throughout the south east that a university, above everything else, is what it needs to prosper.

On any given day when the universities are in full session, 7,000 students from the south east are attending colleges outside the region. This causes a brain drain because students who graduate tend to take up employment within a radius of approximately 60 miles of the institution they attended. In addition, those making inward investment decisions will consider areas with an educational establishment which produces graduates who can play a part in the knowledge economy — the emerging economy — and, most important, in the areas in which Ireland can compete. The low cost countries are attracting the traditional manufacturing sectors which provided jobs here for so many and so long.

The south east is experiencing a brain drain and the erosion of traditional industry. The Government, in the budget, offered nothing to County Waterford and other counties in the region to enhance its readiness to advance when the potential exists to do so. It is not necessary to wait for an economic turnaround because the creativity and entrepreneurship which develops from an institution such as a university enables people to see opportunities, even at the worst of times. We must provide a base and capacity in the south east to ensure this objective is realised.

The budget is about balancing the books. While this is a necessary exercise, the Government took the wrong options in many areas.

It cannot be all negativity, however, a case of throwing in the towel and saying matters are just terrible. We must look at the major positive aspects that will bring about change.

The decentralisation programme in my area has now been put back until 2011. Some 225 jobs from the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government were to come to Waterford and part of that project was the provision of an additional court chamber, which is very badly needed. Not alone are we losing the decentralised Department, but also that very important project which would have an enormous effect on the efficient use of the courts system in Waterford. The town of Dungarvan, which has suffered a number of serous industrial blows, was to get 206 jobs from Ordnance Survey Ireland, but that has been put back to 2011, at the very earliest. I never believed this particular decentralisation project was anything more than something the former Minister for Finance, Deputy McCreevy, made up on the back of a cigarette box, because there was neither planning nor consultation with the unions, and it was very pat. However, it was promised to Waterford repeatedly by Government representatives. I always felt the promises were hollow, but now we have this definite statement to the effect that nothing will happen before 2011.

In terms of injecting additional moneys into economies, something that can be lost sight of is the bad situation that exists for the retail sector at the moment. This sector employs a great many more people than many of us realise. Its lifeblood is the circulation of money in local communities and economies. That is not happening sufficiently at the moment and there are ways to redress this. For example, in terms of planning and agriculture, the early retirement scheme has been withdrawn. That existed to ensure that farms were handed over as early as possible. Also, the installation grant has been withdrawn. This involved providing €15,000 to help people aged under 35 get started on their farm careers. In my view, the removal of these payments is very short-sighted. I have a great deal more to say about the budget, but I will yield to my colleague, Deputy McManus.

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