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

The Government has told us at length about the importance of the rainy day fund. It is more important to know exactly who will benefit from this fund when the time comes. The official statement on the Bill stated that a drawdown from the fund can be made if the Minister is satisfied on reasonable grounds, with evidence and expert analysis, that it is necessary in the event of a severe economic shock. This leaves the fund open to being drawn on wrongly. What can trigger a drawdown needs to be made very clear. My concern is what happens if a Minister turns a blind eye to a crisis and waits for it to escalate before the fund is touched? For many people in Dublin the memory of the fodder crisis last year may be long forgotten, but people in west Cork from Castletownbere to Goleen, Kilbrittain and Ballinalee were severely affected. No one did anything until it was too late for most of them. Time and again I raised this crisis with the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine and asked him to take immediate action to put in place an emergency fund, but that fell on deaf ears. I strongly suggested a fodder transport subsidy to assist in transporting fodder to farmers affected by the crisis. I advocated making livestock meal vouchers available with immediate effect and putting an aid package in place for farmers to help them purchase fodder. I also asked the Minister of State's Department to co-ordinate with the HSE so that a support system could be put in place for farmers who might be under psychological stress because of the financial strain on them at that time. He did not take my suggestions on board until it was too late for many. Will an exigency like this be deemed a crisis or will these people be simply ignored? Unfortunately my experience of this Government so far suggests that the latter will happen.

Fishermen have also had a raw deal from the Government and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine. Our fishermen suffered greatly as a result of Storm Ophelia. Fishermen in my constituency along the coast at Crookhaven, Schull, Union Hall, Glengarriff, Baltimore, Ring, Courtmacsherry, Kinsale, Castletownbere and the islands, and fishermen along the west coast had their fishing gear destroyed the storm. Damaged equipment included shrimp, crab and lobster pots. This was a crisis for them. I raised this matter with the Taoiseach in the Dáil and sought a compensation package to allow these fishermen to sustain their livelihoods. My pleas again were ignored. I wrote to the Minister over and over asking for a compensation package to be put in place urgently. What will happen in the future if our fishermen are again affected by such a storm? I greatly doubt the rainy day fund come into effect for them. Moreover, very importantly, if it does come into effect, will the money from the rainy day fund be used in an efficient manner to help the fishermen affected at the time? Fishermen deserve more from this Government. In light of the complexities arising from Brexit for our fishermen and for fishing in our waters, I strongly believe our fishermen deserve their own Minister for fisheries and the marine to fight for the funds if this reserve fund is put in place.

The Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Deputy Helen McEntee, stated earlier this month:

The Government has worked hard to achieve these key economic aims, while committing to investing in the infrastructure and housing that are so important to our people. We have achieved a balanced budget and a sustainable tax base.

I am not sure where she got this impression, because my constituents still feel let down in the midst of the housing crisis. Despite all this Government's talk about tackling the housing crisis, I do not see the positive outcomes that were promised on the ground. I still know of people who have been waiting ten years or more on the housing list. They are living in appalling conditions. Will this rainy day fund be directed towards providing these people with a home as they find themselves in exceptional circumstances?

The economic crisis started in 2008 and continues to effect many people. The common trend I see in the crises I have mentioned is that they were left too late before the Government acted and this late action has left far bigger problems. It is also notable that rural issues were deemed non-emergencies. Looking at the history of this Government I am convinced that this will be a slush fund for Ministers for the rich parts of our capital that face problems. When it come to the Cabinet table, there will be no voice for rural Ireland in the administration of this fund, as always. A cross-party and non-party group of Members should be set up to control this fund if it ever comes into being. Deputies from rural and urban constituencies must be involved. Until this happens I am opposed to the setting up of this fund. Instead, the Minister of State should direct some funds to my constituency of Cork South-West, which has been cash starved for decades.

Where is the Bandon bypass, which was promised in 2017 to the people of west Cork? Why is money being put into a rainy day fund when the Government cannot fund the projects it has promised the people? Why has the Minister of State not delivered, and why does he seek to put the money away and not use it? Why has this Government failed to spend any proper money to open up our roads in west Cork and to provide passing bays on the N71 from Bandon to Clonakilty, Leap, Skibbereen and Ballydehob or on the R581 from Bantry to Drimoleague, Dunmanway, Ballineen and Bandon? The Government should open up west Cork for business rather than hiding this money away for pet projects. What about all the promises made regarding Bantry General Hospital? Those promises are all verbal at present. I call on the Government to spend some money to set up a cataract unit there. It should spend the money now so that hundreds are not forced to frantically travel to Belfast to save their sight. The Government has left them to go blind on its watch. Ireland is ranked last in Europe at dealing with cataract patients along with Slovakia.

If the Government puts this money aside when these issues remain a crisis, how does it expect us to believe that it will sort a crisis out later? What about the new rooms promised to St. Brogan's college in Bandon two years ago? As yet there has not been a sod turned. The Government should use this money to carry out this project instead of having parents who are living across the

road from the school facing a situation where there is no room to take their child. There are several projects that need to be dealt with. Publicans in rural Ireland are going out of business. This is an emergency that needs to be dealt with straight away. If the Government is not going to deal with these issues, I will not support this Bill.

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