Barry Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

We have an extra few minutes due to the absence of speakers before us in the debate.

We came into government in difficult circumstances. It was about who could coalesce because of the nature of the result. It was about who could best put together an objective to address those issues that mattered most at the time of the election, which were housing, health, climate change and the associated just transition. We set in train a programme for Government seeking to deliver upon those areas. The pandemic, unfortunately, stopped much of that in its tracks. While it has been difficult and there has been much fear, consternation and worry on the part of many people throughout the country, we must acknowledge that the response to the pandemic has been phenomenal, especially in the context of front-line workers and the patriotic commitment they made on all our behalf. The people at large supported the measures exceptionally well. Despite the ups and downs, we must recognise the manner in which the Government saw fit to ensure, for example, that we had one of the best vaccination systems in the world. Despite the figures in recent days, I hope that will shortly become a distant memory. People are rightly impatient for delivery. They expect, want and demand results.

This budget, as with all budgets, must seek to be fair and to address inequalities in public service delivery by steadily improving workers' incomes and rewarding work and investment. The budget has been particularly difficult given the continuing need to assist business and those sectors most impacted by Covid, and also against a background of the increased cost of living and inflationary concerns that are all too obvious. The budget had to be framed within a credible fiscal framework, conscious of the Irish Fiscal Advisory Council's recommendations and our international responsibilities and credibility, especially following the recent increase in corporation tax. The Government has skilfully, insofar as it can, sought to ensure that is the case in terms of fairness and equality. That can be measured, for example, by the social welfare package in excess of €800 million, the continuation of the wage subsidy schemes, rates waivers for business and specific packages for the tourism, entertainment and hospitality sectors, while maintaining and improving access within the public service, especially in education, justice and health. That is in addition to massive commitments of €4 billion per annum made in the recent Housing for All document.

I especially commend the Government's efforts to help younger citizens vis-à-visincreased third level grants and increased eligibility for those same grants, which will see improvements for some up to a value of €2,000 with the costs associated with third level education. There are also most welcome commitments to transport discounts in the public sector for youth. It is the youth that we rely on and to whom we owe most in terms of the solutions we need to see become a reality in housing, health, climate change and the associated just transition.

In the coming months we must see radical efforts in these areas to ensure our aspirations are realised. Pumping money alone will not necessarily work. It will help, but we have seen in the past it does not necessarily deliver upon the commitments that are made. Strong and effective government must push the boundaries in these areas. It must overhaul the areas of governance that are holding up and delaying the sort of delivery we want to see become a reality. For example, in housing, supply is impacted most by planning. The Government is bringing forward a planning reform Bill in the autumn. It must be transformative and statutorily put time periods in place for how An Bord Pleanála delivers its responses to planning appeals. It must seek to restrict the appeals process especially in the area of judicial reviews.

I am also conscious that development plans involve a prolonged process with much consultation, deliberation and commitment by local authority members, together with the public. I regret to see planning held up for four or five years at a time of national crisis, despite commitments and applications for development being in sync with county development plans, regional guidelines and plans and the criteria on design, density and environmental and traffic impacts. That cannot be allowed to continue. Bold decisions must be made in that regard.

Regarding health, we have seen in the past that the fear of change is the greatest barrier to change. During the course of the pandemic, we have seen the impact, effort and commitment of the workforce, the Government and everybody concerned and how much could be done to assist in the national effort. We would like to see Sláintecare implemented. For the first time, a health strategy involves cross-party support and commitment. It is a worry that in recent times we have lost many of the members of the board that was put in place to be innovative and to implement the change. I am not sure I agree with the appointments of Paul Reid and Robert Watt at the head of the new board. The success of the new board must be measured quickly and honestly in order to impact the change that is necessary.

In regard to climate change and just transition, the efforts that have been made are, unfortunately, not compatible with increased fuel and energy costs while the target of a just transition has not materialised as originally envisaged. I call on the Government to soon, if not immediately, publish the territorial plan which it will shortly submit to the European Commission to draw down a further €84.5 million from the coal and peat regions in transition fund. That funding must be better targeted to benefit those most impacted by the acceleration of decarbonisation, particularly in my own county of Offaly and other counties in our region.

Neither are the efforts on climate change and just transition compatible with the management of EirGrid and ComReg in regard to energy and the increased competition we had expected to see in the energy sector. I am conscious in particular of something I have mentioned in recent weeks in this Chamber, and that is the failure of EirGrid to adequately police the situation whereby the ESB can win four contracts or tender procedures over the past four years to the tune of 430 MW, and then to withdraw from them during those four years, pay the penalty and allow the grid to remain challenged. At the same time, power stations in my region were closed on the understanding that renewables would be forthcoming on the grid. Another 270 MW was lost there, which brings the total loss to 700 MW. At the same time, there has been no increase in competition, the grid remains challenged and costs continue to rise.

We have seen regulators in the past asleep at the wheel and we suffered because of it. No way should this be allowed. No way should the same regulator, ComReg, be expected to come up with all of the solutions over the next ten years when it was very much responsible for the failings over the past number of years. That is something I hope to be addressed in the short term if we are to be serious about creating an atmosphere where renewables can compete on the national grid and where competition is such that our grid is not compromised. When it is not compromised and when that sort of competition is alive and well, there is the prospect of lower prices and lower impacts on those who are left to pay because of the failures. Those who are left to pay are those who put us here, and we have to respond accordingly.

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