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

This issue should be looked at and many of the stations reopened. It was a mistake made by the last Government, as the Minister will readily admit.

The extra €36.5 million to be made available for the higher and further education sector next year is also welcome.

I am glad to see the introduction of a new fisherman's tax credit of €1,270 per year for those who spend 80 days each year at sea. I am sure this will be welcomed across the fishing sector and it is about time small boat fishermen were acknowledged in the budget.

A new allowance to enable farmers to step out of income averaging which is to commence immediately is most welcome at a time when farmers are struggling owing to bad weather, poor meat prices, etc. I welcome this announcement and know that it will be welcomed across the farming sector which, as I remind the Government, is the very backbone of the country and needs further financial assistance at this time. There is to be an increase in the farm assist payment which is to be welcomed, but we await the exact details.

The Government established a Department with responsibility for regional and rural affairs for which I called after the general election, but the taking of action in that Department is slow. I welcome the extra funding being given for the rural social schemes and the rural development programme, etc. I know that the Minister is doing her best, but the action plan for rural Ireland is too vague. For example, a simple and cost-effective plan could be introduced to save the post office network, but the Government is dragging its feet on the matter, despite it being included in the programme for Government. Losing the post office network is simply not good enough. It would be the final nail in the coffin.

A total of €15 million is to be put into the national broadband plan. While this is a great announcement, in some places in the country we have people fighting for e-fibre broadband, while in places such as the Bridia Valley in Glencar, they are fighting for broadband - full stop. This issue needs to be addressed. The Government needs to speed up action in providing a broadband service for every home in Ireland.

I am glad that money is to be allocated for the sports capital programme in 2017. I await word from the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Deputy Shane Ross, on the details of the scheme.

I anxiously await the breakdown of funding for local improvement schemes and the restoration of money of we have been starved since 2011 when the Fine Gael-Labour Party Government introduced the cuts. Three major public private partnership projects are being undertaken, but yet again there is no announcement of funding for the Ballyvourney to Macroom bypass project or the Adare bypass project that has been neglected for over 25 years. This is not good enough when access routes to County Kerry are quite simply choked.

As the public look at budget 2017, it is not what one would call a bad budget, but it certainly does not give enough back to those who were hardest hit people and have suffered so badly. In principle, many of the budgetary measures are welcome. However, there is a lot of tiptoeing on the fact that the old age pension measures, etc., will not take effect until March. It is great to see millions of euro being allocated here and there, but how many operations will be performed quickly? How will people see the budget assisting them?

There was one measure that I know for a fact that the Government was going to introduce. It concerned an equalising of excise duty, but I am glad that the Government listened and took on board what was being said in the lobbying that what it was trying to do and what Revenue was hoping to do in increasing the cost of diesel to make it the same price as petrol would have been outrageous and have a massive knock-on negative effect, particularly in rural Ireland, where everything has to be transported in and out.

I welcome, in particular, the allocation of €25 million for sheep farmers which is much needed.

On the rent-a-room scheme, it is welcome that the figure is being increased from €12,000 to €14,000. However, once again, it will benefit those in centres of population, as people in places such as County Kerry do not benefit from renting rooms in the same way as other in the larger cities do.

See this speech in context