Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I am sharing with four of my colleagues, le dhá nóiméad an duine.

I am glad the Taoiseach has had his first meeting, but it is time we asserted ourselves in Europe. We must insist we get the loans, bonds and supports that will assist all the different communities throughout the country, and the SMEs especially. I do not often agree with the Deputies on the left, but I agree that the big corporations and conglomerates are fine. They are all right, Jack. It is the ordinary people, such as small businesses, pubs, undertakers, shopkeepers, hackneys, small contractors, delivery men with vans and so on, who need the supports. They need to be able to get them. I am not a big advocate of borrowing but we should get the money. It should not be like the last EU bailout, or the clean-out as I called it, when we paid almost 6% interest to our EU masters. We have been exemplary Europeans. We have done everything they wanted and have been the good boys of Europe. Now it is payback time. All of Europe is in the same situation, which makes it even more difficult for our young people and our workforce who may have to or want to emigrate. They will not be able to get work in many places because of this pandemic.

I question this pandemic and if it is really serious. The former Taoiseach wanted us to be good Europeans and I often questioned him about closing the airports and ports to non-essential people, especially tourists. Our people have taken the punishment and pain and we did not mind doing it for the sake of our country, our people and our front-line workers. Now, we see the tourists flooding in. They are wanted most of the time but at the moment, while it is still Ireland of the thousand welcomes, táimid dúnta. We are closed because having people come in from Covid hot spots is just madness. We must seal our borders. Hungary can do it. Many of the parties here might attack the President of Hungary but I admire him. He did it, he kept Covid out and he has looked after his people.

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