Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry South, Independent) | Oireachtas source

This week's Private Members' motion relates to the ridiculous 25% cut to local authorities of recent years. More than ever before, we need local authorities to employ people to do the ordinary types of work that have been done for years. Is it any wonder that when people travel the roads of Ireland, no drains are being opened and no hedges are being cut? There is a race to the bottom because the embargo prevents local authorities from hiring people. Staffing levels in local authorities must be increased. Never was there more work to be done but so few to do it. Privatisation is not the answer. We used to have excellent people who knew what work needed to be done in their areas and went about doing it diligently. Due to Government decisions, unfortunately, there has been a 25% reduction in staffing levels.

Ironically, the Government believes it is a good idea to stop all business just to compliment itself for a couple of days. It is cynical and people around the country are laughing at it. If Ministers, who seem detached from reality, lived with people who were trying to find work, pay mortgages and send young children to school, they would not want to see Members praising them for a couple of days. God knows, when people look back on all of this, the Government's record of hurting certain sectors of society will be famously remembered. Its backbenchers have blindly supported key decisions. Some of them will go before the people during the May European elections. In two years time, they will go before the people during the general election. The people will give their answer. They will bite back and fight back.

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