Dáil debates

Wednesday, 15 September 2021

Confidence in Minister for Foreign Affairs and Defence: Motion

 

7:35 pm

Photo of Matt ShanahanMatt Shanahan (Waterford, Independent) | Oireachtas source

On the day this vote was announced, the Irish Examiner led with the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform's insistence that the Cork-Limerick motorway would be in the revised national development plan. I thought this an unsubtle wink to the people of Cork that this Government and the Minister, Deputy Coveney, had the motorway baby safely in their arms. Unfortunately, I have no babe in arms to signal to the south east. No baby steps have been taken to advance or upgrade our regional N24 and N25 transport links. However, I acknowledge the Minister's competence and, in particular, his work on Brexit. This competence and strength on Cork issues is seen by many in my constituency as a problem that has helped to keep Waterford's ambitions stunted. I refer to our airport, hospital and university. However, we are fair-minded and seek natural justice. Where mistakes were made here, they were not of such an order or gravity as to fire a competent and effective Minister and, possibly, a Government as this pandemic and Brexit rumble on. Budget 2022 and the revised national development plan are also issues of natural justice that will be closely followed in the south east. That is the correct matter on which to base any decisions on the future of this Government.

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