Michael Moynihan (Cork North West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

-----and we might as well adjourn for the next two or three days. Why are we having a spring statement? There are many issues which need to be tackled. When I hear the Government self-congratulating itself, it makes me think the Government parties must have been over in Government buildings and seen the autumn statement by George Osborne ahead of the spring budget, had an "aha" moment, thought it a great idea and decided to have a spring statement themselves in advance of an autumn budget. Three days of Dáil business is being given over to this self-congratulatory nonsense.

What is sickening about it, to be perfectly honest, is that in the very difficult days of 2008, 2009 and 2010, the current Tánaiste sat on the Labour Party benches ranting and raving about this country being banjaxed. The main Opposition party at the time, Fine Gael, which is now in government, opposed every idea and told us that there was no salvation at all to be had for the country. They did not give a carlicue except to crush the Government at the time, irrespective of the consequences for the nation. I particularly remember sitting in the Chamber watching Deputy Joan Burton's theatrical performance when talking about the country being banjaxed. Looking at the statements given over the past couple of days about how great things are, I cannot but think to myself that it is not 400 years, 40 years or even ten years, it is only four years, since the four year plan that was outlined by the late Brian Lenihan upon which scorn was poured. They said it was not possible to turn the situation around so fast.

I am particularly upset that the Dáil is being turned over for three days to this nonsense when we are awaiting a number of Bills. The previous Minister for Children and Youth Affairs took the Second Stage of the Children First Bill. There is no sign of it moving forward. It is nearly 18 months since the Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) Bill 2013 was referred to the committee. We are still waiting on it.

In addition, the hour set aside for Topical Issues has been abandoned today and yesterday just in case any backbench Deputy, Government or Opposition, would like to bring issues that affect them or their communities to the floor of Dáil Éireann. There are many issues which I will try to deal with which we could be bringing to the floor of this House. I would like to deal with the issues that are affecting communities the length and breadth of the country but, in particular, those in my constituency of Cork North-West.

The Government moved the writ for the Carlow-Kilkenny by-election. There were some congratulatory notes about Phil Hogan who has taken the position of European Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development and I wish him the best of luck in that role. However, I take fierce objection to the way the decision of the Putting People First document on Leader funding has decimated communities across the country. I have had reason over the past 18 months to travel the entire country. We have local action community groups and since the MacSharry proposals and the European Union brought in the funding for the bottom up approach, many communities have benefited enormously. However, we have seen them decimated.

In my county of Cork, their funding has been cut by 70%. Volunteers in every community have done excellent work. Any assessment of that work would show the benefits to rural communities. The blatent cuts are an awful legacy and irrespective of the budgetary parameters, the new Common Agricultural Policy has made them. The CAP was a self-congratulatory measure chaired by the current Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine at European level. People might refer to the mythology and so on, but the work and funding have benefited local contractors, architects, builders and others. The cuts were a retrograde step and should be reconsidered.

The Minister of State, Deputy Harris, mentioned the disability sector. For a variety of reasons, I have had a grá for it since entering the House. It has taken a hammering. An all-party committee was established by Members two or three months ago and meetings were to be held once every six weeks to report on the position, but we have not seen sight nor sound of that group since. There has been no second meeting.

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