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

West Cork is reeling in shock after this news today. It is an increase not of 1% or 2% but of 4.5%. It is an absolute disaster for rural Ireland. This budget has turned its back on rural Ireland just as previous budgets did. Who else is running the show here? It is the Minister, Deputy Ross. That Minister has already turned his back on the people of rural Ireland. He has been doing it for the last number of months and he is doing it again. He did not protect the rural people who have hotels that have to close down during the winter. How does he expect them to stay open or to continue to create employment? I ask the Fianna Fáil Members not to abstain on this issue but to vote against it and vote for the people. All of us should vote against this measure tonight.

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