Pat Gallagher (Donegal, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I was going to thank my colleagues for sharing time. I will thank Deputies Ó Cuív and O'Callaghan, who is coming after me. Things have not changed - when one has possession, one keeps it.

In terms of the budget, I was pleased that the Minister for Finance took on board an issue I raised in this House shortly after my re-election, namely, the extension of the seafarer's allowance to fishermen. That was one of the recommendations in the report of the review of marine tax. I welcome that measure because it is important that fishermen are treated in a comparable fashion to mariners.

The budget refers to our airports and I am particularly interested in Donegal Airport, which I flew out of today. This facility has provided an excellent service over the years. While it was not mentioned specifically in the budget, it was referred to in the aviation programme. The future of that airport has been consolidated because money will be provided for the public service obligation, PSO, which is absolutely essential if Donegal Airport is to survive. Donegal does not currently have a rail link or a motorway. It will not have the latter until such time as the N2-A5 is completed, the situation in respect of which does not look very promising. I have been very involved with Donegal Airport which is vitally important. It plays an important role in the economic and social development of the region, particularly west Donegal.

I am glad that CLÁR funding is referred to in the budget but we must look at the finer details to determine what exactly is involved. I was disappointed to hear the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport speak in the House last week and spend eight and half minutes criticising Fianna Fáil and others but only make reference to his own Department for the final minute and a half of his ten-minute speaking slot. He did not fully understand the issues being raised about local improvement schemes. Those of us who have served on local authorities or as Deputies know that the most important road in rural Ireland is not the national primary or secondary road, the regional or county road but the road leading from a person's house. When I had responsibility for these schemes, I provided one of the largest ever allocations for local roads and councillors had the opportunity to allocate funding in respect of such roads. These roads are now in a disastrous state. It is vitally important that the Minister deals with this and reintroduces the local improvement schemes, but not on a cosmetic basis as is currently the case. At present, councils can only spend a small percentage of their county road allocation on local roads.

Ar ndóigh, chuir sé díomá orm nach raibh an oiread sin airgid le fáil ar mhaithe le airgead breise a chur ar fáil do Roinn na Gaeltachta i mbliana. Ós rud é go bhfuil an Ghaeltacht chomh tábhachtach sin, ba cheart airgead a chur ar fáil do na bóithre áise agus na bóithre straitéiseacha ag dul isteach go dtí ceantracha éagsúla sa Ghaeltacht.

Reference was made to Brexit. We will have other opportunities to discuss that issue. However, it should be noted that in the Border counties, we have already felt the effects of the referendum in the UK. Too many people are now going from the Border counties and further south into Northern Ireland. Much has been said about a soft Border but I am extremely concerned, having been in the export business for many years, that the economic borders of the past could return once more. I remember quite well that when shipping through from Lifford to Strabane, from Dundalk to Newry or from Monaghan to Armagh, one had to be there before 10 p.m. to deal with one's customs papers and then one was rushing, trying to make the boat at Larne. Let no one tell me that nothing will change. Of course it will change. I have been coming to the Dáil since 1981 and apart from the peace process, the greatest transformation I have seen in my lifetime came about as a result of the Single European Act, which removed the economic borders.

The necklace of Border counties - six in the North and six in the South - has benefited greatly from our membership of the EU. They obtained substantial funds from Europe, first and foremost through the International Fund for Ireland, to which the EU is a major donor, and subsequently through the peace process. During my time in Europe, we insisted on a clever approach whereby any funding provided in this context would have to be additional and not substitutional. Of course INTERREG has been very important as well. We have benefited greatly from our membership of the EU over many years. I would like to think we can continue to benefit from Europe. Of course things could change after Brexit and the triggering of Article 50. We have seen the effects of the decline in sterling over recent weeks and months.

I would like to speak about education. I was disappointed that the budget did not provide for an increase in the capitation grants for primary schools and did not include a firm commitment to deal with the pupil-teacher ratio, which was discussed in the House earlier in the context of a Labour Party motion. The Government does not understand the importance of part-time workers in industries like fishing, agriculture and tourism. I hope that, during the course of the debate on the forthcoming social welfare Bill, the Minister will take on board recommendations I have made to him regarding seasonal and part-time workers, who play a pivotal role in the development of fisheries, agriculture and tourism. It is getting increasingly difficult for them to draw down social welfare benefits. It is now necessary to have almost 39 contributions each year, which means a person must almost be employed full-time before he or she can draw down any benefits. That is not possible for many people. I know from my connections with the fishing industry in Killybegs that those involved in fisheries are having trouble getting part-time workers because there is no incentive for people to go to work part-time. I hope the Minister for Social Protection will deal with this issue in the context of the social welfare Bill.

Mar a dúirt mé roimhe seo, tá sé fíorthábhachtach go gcuirfear airgead ar fáil d'Údarás na Gaeltachta. Mar a dúradh i i Ráiteas Buiséid an Aire Airgeadais, an Teachta Noonan, cuirfear airgead ar fáil chun cuidiú le Enterprise Ireland agus IDA Ireland maidir le Brexit. Níor luaigh sé Údarás na Gaeltachta, áfach. Má tá airgead ar fáil do Enterprise Ireland agus IDA Ireland, glacaim leis go mbeidh airgead ar fáil d'Údarás na Gaeltachta, a oibríonn mar eagraíocht fíorthábhachtach sna ceantair Gaeltachta. Tá jabanna á gcruthú ag Údarás na Gaeltachta sna ceantair sin, an ceantar ina bhfuil mé i mo chónaí san áireamh, thar na blianta. Tá jabanna caillte againn thar tréimhse ach ag an am céanna. Caithfidh mé ard-mholadh a thabhairt don údarás as ucht an méid atá á dhéanamh aige chun comhlachtaí a mhealladh go dtí an taobh sin den tír. Tá mé ag smaoineamh ar chomhlachtaí ar nós Randox atá tar éis 120 post a chruthú i mo bhaile dúchais, agus beidh suas le 500 post cruthaithe ag an údarás faoi dheireadh na bliana 2020.

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