Mattie McGrath (Tipperary South, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I am pleased to be able to ask some questions in this debate. Why was the entire business of the Dáil last week and most of its business this week devoted to a back-slapping exercise? There is nothing worse than listening to people who feel it is necessary to tell us how good they are. People will tell the Government parties how good they are when their candidates knock on doors in the local and European elections. I extend my best wishes to all those standing for election. It is true that people were hostile to the outgoing Government during the previous general election campaign. While I was a member of one of the parties in the previous Government for a long time, I stood as an Independent candidate in the general election and I am proud to be an Independent Deputy today.

Many promises were made at the previous general election. Fine Gael and the Labour Party could have promised anything and they still would have been elected but they chose to engage in a bidding war. We were promised accountability, transparency, openness and honesty.

The bondholders were to be burned. I have referred more than once in this House to the Tánaiste, Deputy Gilmore, saying when in opposition that hell's fire would not be as hot as the bondholders and to people being allowed some bit of dignity. What happened? This Government took on the clothes of the previous Administration. I note the Minister of State, Deputy Lynch, is in the House. While she was very vociferous when in opposition, unlike her colleague who had the decency to get out of the kitchen when she was being bullied by the Minister, Deputy Reilly, she has stood over the closure of hospitals and cuts in funding that had been ring-fenced for disability and mental services. Like many other facilities throughout the country, the mental health service facility which had been in place in Clonmel for generations has been closed.

The troika then came to town. I met with the troika on a number of occasions. They were spun the same spin by officials of this Government as they had been spun by officials of the previous Administration, including that there would be 2% growth here and there and that this, that and the other job was being done. What was done to the untouchables, the barristers and the Judiciary? Nothing. The Minister, Deputy Shatter, without any prior discussion or debate brought forward a referendum to establish a new tier of the Judiciary, members of which were to be appointed by him and would be colleagues of Fine Gael and the Labour Party. However, 38% of the people voted against it.

The Government also promised to abolish quangos but it has created more than ever existed. In recent days, the Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Quinn, spoke on radio about how he met Mr. Flannery wandering around the inner sanctum of Government. When the heat in the kitchen became too hot the Taoiseach dispensed with him, by agreement I would contend. Members of Government, including the Minister of State, Deputy Tom Hayes, then took to the airwaves saying that Mr. Flannery should appear before the Committee of Public Accounts to answer questions about this and that, following which Mr. Flannery resigned that evening. The whole situation was carefully choreographed. However, the people have not been fooled. They can see what is going on.

This Government even broke the cap on salaries for its advisers. This is the fifth day of the Government's self-congratulatory bunkum. Day after day the Taoiseach fails to answer questions put to him in this House. I engaged with him during Leaders Questions for six months. One regularly gets a completely unrelated response to the question asked. The Taoiseach cannot wait to go off on his travels to the US. When members of the Government were in opposition they continually condemned the number of Ministers who travelled abroad. During the first year of the troika programme they reduced to nine or ten the number of Ministers who travelled abroad. Now 38 Ministers are to travel abroad. I have no problem with the Taoiseach or particular Ministers travelling to particular countries but it is like the flight of the earls. I heard a Government spokesperson say that the cost in this regard is €330,000. Who do this Government think it is codding? It costs more than that to send 38 Ministers and their entourages abroad, and for what reason? As I said I have no problem with ten or 12 Ministers travelling abroad but 38 is ridiculous. I wonder if anybody will be left in charge of the country.

Another commitment of this Government was that the number of Ministers would be reduced. However, what we have witnessed is more jobs for the boys in terms of the number of advisers appointed and boards stuffed with Fine Gael and Labour Party colleagues. A former running mate of the Taoiseach, a solicitor, was appointed as a Justice. The Labour Party has done likewise. It is a case of tit-for-tat. As I have said more than once, this Government set out to punish the electorate for having the audacity to keep Fine Gael and the Labour Party out of government for 14 years and preventing them appointing their friends to high places. However, as in the case of the last runner in the relay, they have made up for it and stuffed their friends into every position. This cronyism and nepotism is disgusting and despicable. The public have had enough of it. I have been canvassing during the evening and at weekends over the past five or six weeks. The public can be fooled once but not twice.

The Minister of State, Deputy Lynch, has responsibility for disability services. As I have said previously, there appears to be an agenda in the Department of Health to attack people with disabilities. During the past two and a half years three attempts were made to cut the entitlements of disabled people. This year the cut was made without any discussion. I attended the disabilities forum in the Mansion House, which the Minister of State was too afraid to attend and answer questions. The Minister of State rather than blame the Minister, Deputy Reilly, for what is happening should take responsibility for her own portfolio and take care of vulnerable people who need to be looked after, including people in wheelchairs, carers and those in other difficult situations. The response of this Government is to always blame the previous Government. I was here when members of the Government were in opposition and were continually calling for more to be spent. The previous Government might have been reckless but the Opposition was even more reckless in terms of its continually demanding more, with no thought for the rainy day.

Deputy Anne Ferris referred to people playing golf. I have never played golf. The people she named were not the only ones playing golf. This Government has a new way of doing things. For example, it is kow towing to and at the beck and call of big business like EirGrid, which is trying to ruin our country. It is more disgusting cronyism. Many members of the Government are opposed to the North-South interconnector and promised if elected that they would oppose it. Legislation to deal with the issue will not now be ready until 2015. The Minister, Deputy Rabbitte, is like a spokesperson for EirGrid. Some months ago, I tabled a Priority Question on the matter to the Minister, Deputy Rabbitte. His response was that he has no responsibility for EirGrid, yet during the following month he was on radio shows with Matt Copper, Mary Wilson and others espousing the virtues of EirGrid. When following the recent storms many people were left without lights for a week the Minister had the arrogance and audacity to tell us that if we did not accept the pylons and his new-found policy and new bed-fellows in EirGrid, many of whom are investors from abroad, we would be forever living in the dark ages. What an arrogant cheek.

The Minister then appointed Mr. John O'Connor, who is bordering on 80 years of age, having spent 45 years in public service and 12 years elsewhere, as chairman of EirGrid.

See this speech in context