Dáil debates

Wednesday, 2 June 2021

National Recovery and Resilience Plan: Statements

 

4:30 pm

Photo of Colm BurkeColm Burke (Cork North Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister. This plan gives confidence. The words I would use are “Build back better.” That is the challenge we now face. In 2012, more than 50,000 people were leaving the country per year. We faced up to that challenge. Over the following years, up to 2019, more than 400,000 new jobs were created. We have the ability to face the challenges posed by Covid-19.

In the public sector, there is protection that does not exist in the private sector. Therefore, the supports we have now put in place and that have been in place during the pandemic are extremely important. Many businesses have suffered severely. We must continue to give them their support.

On skills and upskilling people, we have a new challenge. We must incentivise companies to take on apprentices because this is extremely important if we are to meet the demand, be it in the building sector or the IT sector or in the many other areas where there are challenges.

Covid-19 resulted in people working from home. To work from home, an employee needs broadband. More than 560,000 houses and businesses do not have a broadband connection. There are very many houses and businesses on the border between the blue and amber areas. We need to make sure those areas can be fast-tracked. I understand that between 60,000 and 80,000 houses will be connected to broadband this year. That is not enough. We need to be moving faster if we really want people to continue to work from home or have that option.

I very much welcome the announcement on Cork, which follows on from the announcement earlier in the year on the development of the docklands and the announcement on rail electrification and the help with regard to the Middleton–Cork–Blarney rail line. That latter is important. An announcement was also made on the development of the North Ring Road. That is also a welcome move.

We need to prioritise addressing the issue of elective hospitals. At a meeting of the health committee this morning, it was said that if we want to face the challenges in the health sector, we need to fast-track how we deliver on our elective hospitals and healthcare. Cork, Limerick and Dublin are implicated. This needs to be prioritised.

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