Michael Collins (Cork South West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I welcome aspects of yesterday's budget but the devil could well be in the detail. The €9.6 million for transport and road infrastructure needs further examination. Is that €9.6 million going into the greater Dublin area or will there be serious funding for roads in west Cork? Our N71 route through Innishannon, Bandon, Clonakilty, Skibbereen and Ballydehob is choked of any realistic funding to open up west Cork to do business. We in west Cork will no longer be the poor relations. Our N71, R581 and R582 have been left behind when funding for passing bays could easily have been granted. I hope the budget for transport and roads reflects this.

The budget for the Department of Justice and Equality needs further clarity. Is there a budget for the opening of Garda stations? West Cork was struck the worst with regard to Garda stations being reopened. Will Ballinspittle, Adrigole or Goleen Garda stations be reopened? Will funding be put in place for this?

Health is the most critical issue for the people of west Cork. Can the Minister clarify there is a budget in place to pay for staff in Bandon Community Hospital? We found out in the past few days that the extension completed in August stands idle and cannot be used by the people in the Bandon Community Hospital catchment area because the HSE is not funding staff for the extension. It is quite clear. If a Minister put funding in place for a bypass, would they leave the bypass unopened? Why is funding in place for a community hospital when the extension cannot be staffed and remains closed to the public?

I mentioned the carer's allowance which was increased. We should welcome an increase and I am not discrediting it in any way.

I mentioned that some people have been waiting three months, but I was corrected by a constituent who told me they had to wait eight months before getting their carer's allowance. Would any of us wait for eight months to get our payment? That is totally unfair. It is astonishing to be announcing more funding when they cannot sort out the issue of the carer's allowance in the first instance.

Bantry General Hospital has a massive catchment area, covering tens of thousands of people, in west Cork. Where does it stand with regard to its budget? The announcement in recent days casts serious doubt over the future of the surgical ward. It is extremely alarming that funding may not be available for two consultants. Does the Government plan to fund an increase by shutting down hospitals and cutting funding for anything that happens in rural areas in order to increase funding for the capital? A health budget should be a budget for all, not for some. This apparent downgrading of Bantry General Hospital will be nothing short of scandalous if it goes ahead. I call on the Minister to clarify if this is the case.

Many women have been left high and dry by the State when it comes to the provision of pensions for those who worked in the home. These women have saved the State millions of euros in what would have been spent on child care or carer's fees. They went back to work for a number of years after their families were reared and are now realising that they do not have enough stamps to qualify for a State pension.

Many homemakers in my constituency of Cork South-West have brought this issue to my attention at various clinics. They feel that they have been discriminated against. These women feel they have been left high and dry by the State. That is an awful thing for them to feel in light of the way in which they served the State for so long. Did the Minister create a fund in this budget for these women or did our State leave them high and dry once again?

This budget needs to be different from others. It must give to all and not just to the capital of our country. We need our facilities in rural areas. Along with my two elected colleagues, I need to put a stop to the downgrading of these services in west Cork. The Minister needs to give us the necessary funding to do so.

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