Carol Nolan (Laois-Offaly, Independent) | Oireachtas source

We heard from many Government Deputies in the Chamber last night. Shamefully, some rural Deputies were lauding the great budget and, as they termed them, the great climate action measures contained in it. I remind those Deputies who called such measures progressive that there is nothing progressive about the possibility of blackouts. There is nothing progressive about thousands of tonnes of peat being imported from Latvia and Estonia while 10,000 jobs are at risk in our horticulture sector. There is nothing progressive about abandoning farmers or punishing rural people, motorists and agri-contractors with a carbon tax hike that is unsustainable, unfair and unacceptable. We are seeing the pursuit of ludicrous objectives when we need pragmatism and constructivism. We have not seen that. The only flicker of hope or positivity, the only chink of light I could see in the budget, was the fact that the Minister for Education, Deputy Foley, saw the need to expand the Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools, DEIS, scheme. She is a former teacher, like myself, and I commend her on her work.

She also saw the need to reduce class sizes. I hope that will happen again in the next budget.

There is great concern among farmers. Serious commitments were made to them but reneged upon. A commitment was made to ring-fence a proportion of the €1.5 billion carbon fund. That was reneged on. That needs to be addressed urgently. It is not good enough. The farming community deserves better. I call on the Government to meet that commitment. Farmers are the backbone of the rural economy. I am calling for fairness because there has not been any. Some rural Deputies lauded the budget and paid lip service to the horticulture sector outside the gates. They think that is fine but it is not. We are not going to accept it. Irish people, including these Deputies' constituents, will not accept it.

See this speech in context