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

In July 2020, the European Council, comprising the Heads of State and Government of each EU member state, adopted an historic €750 billion recovery package for Europe. This package, Next Generation EU, is Europe's shared response to the severe health and economic crisis caused by Covid-19. The European Commission announced on 28 May that it had received an official recovery and resilience plan from Ireland and Sweden. Sweden, with a population about twice that of Ireland, had requested a total of €3.2 billion in grants under the recovery and resilience facility, RRF, while Ireland had requested a total of €1 billion. Many of the other figures were outlined by my colleagues Deputies O'Donoghue and Mattie McGrath. In comparison with other countries, we have been left far behind.

Deputy McGrath is correct; we are the good boys in Europe. We have been the good boys in Europe for decades and we can see what it has cost us. I plead with the Minister of State, before the fishermen's protest that is to take place tomorrow, to get back out to Europe, fight for the Irish fisherman and farmer, fight for Ireland and not walk away with a bad deal. We walked away with a shocking deal in regard to Brexit. We are scared of asking for a slightly higher quota. We do not want to insult anybody by asking for a bluefin tuna quota for the fishing industry because we might insult other European countries that have very high quotas. We are an absolute disgrace when we go to Europe. We are scared. It is time to stand up, get the best team out there and put up the best fight. There should be no more good boy attitude.

Where are we going to be in the CAP negotiations? Are we going to be the whipping boys again? Are we just going to give to the wealthy farmer in Ireland and let the small man go, as we have done before? A total of 40% of farmers in this country get between €1,500 and €5,000 from the CAP. Will they be neglected again under the CAP agreement? Will the powers in Europe look after the fat cats and leave behind the ordinary men and women in this country? It is time to step up and we need the Government to do so. It failed in regard to fishing but surely he will not fail in regard to agriculture. If it does, it will have devastating consequences.

The Government failed to bring this fund to Ireland in a sufficient manner to allow us to have some kind of recovery. Businesses throughout my county and others, such as pubs and hotels, are starved in the need of funding. Their doors have not been open for more than 400 days in some cases. They are in a desperate position and they are getting only meagre money, and that is no wonder because we cannot fight our corner in Europe.

See this speech in context