Seán Kyne (Galway West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Cuirim fáilte roimh an deis ráiteas a dhéanamh maidir le buiséad 2019. Táim buíoch don Aire Airgeadais, Deputy Donohoe.

As Minister of State responsible for natural resources and inland fisheries in the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment, I wish to put on record the increases in public services funding outlined in budget 2019. I firmly believe the sustainable management of our natural resources is of vital national importance. To this end, I am pleased to have secured funding of €26.2 million for natural resources in budget 2019. This funding will allow my Department to do the following: develop the Tellus geo-environmental mapping project, including a new collaboration between Geological Survey Ireland and Teagasc, producing advisory maps for the farming sector, and to progress Ireland's marine mapping programme, INFOMAR; deliver new groundwater flood mapping for the next phase of the OPW flood programme, based on Geological Survey of Ireland's work related to turloughs in Roscommon, Galway and Longford; develop a range of initiatives at Geological Survey Ireland, including the Geoscience Ireland business cluster; support new research collaborations that will leverage significant European funding for the areas of raw materials, geo-energy and groundwater, in addition to supporting new drinking-water initiatives with both the National Federation of Group Water Schemes and Irish Water; and continue ongoing rehabilitation works at the former mining areas of Avoca and Silvermines.

Ireland's inland fisheries represent a very important economic sector. Angling is estimated to contribute €836 million to the Irish economy every year and support over 11,000 Irish jobs, many in rural and peripheral areas.

I am pleased to have secured funding of nearly €30 million for Inland Fisheries Ireland, IFI, and €2.8 million to support the Loughs Agency in delivering its mandate. This funding will underpin IFI's core work programme of protection, conservation, development and the promotion of Ireland's inland fisheries resource. It carries out inspections, rehabilitates rivers and streams and assesses 147 rivers, sections of rivers and estuaries as part of our internationally recognised annual salmon management programme. The funding will facilitate IFI's licensing of commercial and recreational salmon angers. It will allow for an upgrade of IFI's seagoing capacity and the delivery of rigid inflatable boats, which are high-spec and very much up to modern health and safety standards. One of those has been delivered. Two more are to be delivered this year. A programme of replacement is to be implemented. I will soon launch an eel hardship scheme for the period 2018 to 2020. That will be announced in the coming weeks.

I also work with the Minister for Rural and Community Development, Deputy Ring, in his Department. The Department has seen increased funding for the Western Development Commission, the Dormant Accounts Fund and broadband development. With regard to the Western Development Commission, additional funding of €500,000 has been made available for 2019. This increases the total budget for 2019 to €2 million. This has been welcomed by the board and new CEO, Mr. Tomás Ó Síocháin. I congratulate him and acknowledge the work of the acting CEO, Mr. Ian Brannigan. Based in Ballaghadereen, they are very much focused on regional development. They very much wanted an increase in current funding to allow the commission to develop the western development fund and leverage that money to provide supports and loans to businesses. I certainly welcome the funding.

Another important initiative, the Atlantic economic corridor, aims to build an offering of scale along the west coast. The Western Development Commission will have a role in that. We all know we need to develop the west as a counterbalance to Dublin and Leinster.

The available funding for Dormant Accounts Fund measures will allow new measures to be supported. There is a €1 million allocation to support the enterprise hubs along the Atlantic economic corridor. There is an allocation of €1.2 million to support the development of volunteer centres in a number of places around the country where there are volunteer information centres. Eight counties will see an upgrade from volunteer information centres to volunteer centres. That will be welcomed.

There is to be additional funding for the senior alert scheme, amounting to €1.5 million.

With regard to rural broadband and mobile phone coverage, the role of the Department is to support the local authorities in preparing for the roll-out of the national broadband plan. We hope the contract will be signed this year by the Minister, Deputy Naughten. My Department provides €35,000 to each local authority to support a broadband officer, whose role is to facilitate the roll-out of telecommunications infrastructure. It has also been involved in providing updated maps on mobile phone coverage. I hope as part of the work programme for 2019 to consider what initiatives we can have to support the provision of mobile phone infrastructure.

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The mobile telephone and broadband task force has produced its annual report. It is a wonderful initiative in terms of getting people together from the Departments involved, including my Department, the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport, Transport Infrastructure Ireland, the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government and ComReg. They are there to come up with solutions to the problems. They have roles within their Departments and that collaborative spirit has yielded results in improving the infrastructure we need for broadband and mobile telephony.

As other Members have said, Brexit is one of the great challenges this country faces. I am pleased that the budget acknowledges that and provides a package for Brexit proofing for the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, the Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. There is an increased commitment to capital expenditure. Continued capital investment in infrastructure is one way to ensure that both the economy continues to grow and there is a balance in employment, particularly regional employment, so that is welcome. We have also seen the establishment of the rainy day fund. It is important that we are prudent and have a managed and balanced budget. That will be a benefit in view of the possible threats that will arise from Brexit. We have been very conscious of that, as is evident in the commitments in the budget and the statements from the relevant Ministers in that regard.

The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine stated earlier that he is conscious of the difficult years farmers had in 2017 and 2018. I welcome the additional €23 million for the areas of natural constraint scheme, formerly the disadvantaged areas scheme, to bring the payments back to pre-2008 levels before the recession took hold. The introduction of a new beef environmental efficiency pilot scheme is also welcome.

The national broadband plan is the Government's commitment to ensure that all houses that are not currently connected will be connected to high speed broadband. The contract is expected to be signed this year and the Government has given a commitment to provide €75 million for 2019 to ensure the broadband plan will get started. I expect there will be additional funding in the revised budget later in the year. It is an important recognition of the commitment to the national broadband plan and to having those houses connected.

Overall, this is the first time in a decade that the budget is balanced. It is prudent and Brexit proofed. It is putting money back in people's pockets. We are giving recognition to people who are being taxed at the higher rate too soon. For the second budget in a row we have increased the threshold at which one hits the higher rate and over the two budgets it amounts to a €1,500 increase in the threshold. There have been further cuts to the universal social charge and an increase in social welfare rates as well as a return to the 100% Christmas bonus. This is a return to something people had got used to but which had been taken away from them in the lean years of the recession.

I welcome this budget's commitments. It is always difficult to make choices on how to fund these programmes but I believe we have recognised the challenges that exist and have acted responsibly. It will ensure that the country continues to grow, create jobs, sustain the jobs we have and grow the investment and revenues necessary to keep the country going.

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