Kieran O'Donnell (Limerick City, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I am delighted to contribute on this debate. In the limited time I have, I will concentrate on a few matters. It did not receive much highlighting in the budget, but I sought it a number of months ago and the Minister for Social Protection, Deputy Humphreys, has included it, namely, an increase in the hourly rate of the disability wage subsidy scheme from €5.30 to €6.30. It is for people who are working and have disabilities. The amount now comes to 60% of the minimum wage. I feel strongly about this and campaigned for this increase, and I thank the Minister for following up on my request. It may be a small measure in the overall scheme of things, but it could be of major significance. I encourage employers to avail of this subsidy and to take on people with disabilities. They have a great contribution to make. The increase got lost among the other measures. I worked with Rehab workers in Limerick. This is about real people's lives.

I wish to discuss Shannon Airport. As Chair of the Committee on Transport and Communications, I welcome the appointment of Mr. Pádraig Ó Céidigh and the management team. There are two measures specific to Shannon in the budget. First, along with Cork Airport, Shannon Airport will now be included in the regional airports support scheme. This will make a considerable difference. Second, €90 million has been set aside by the Government to provide supports for the activation of key strategic routes. The three such routes at Shannon are Heathrow, which is now up and running but which we want to see extended to three daily flights, Boston and New York. All of these routes are flown by Aer Lingus. I want to ensure the funding's allocation is not based purely on a simple measurement of numbers. It has to be about the impact for the region. Dublin is exponentially ahead of the other airports. If we are serious about balanced regional development, the basis on which this funding is allocated must have a weighting that benefits the Shannons and Corks over the Dublins. The first two types have a larger hill to climb, so we must get the strategic routes back.

This is a post-exit budget, as it were. It is a budget that seeks to ensure everyone can come out as undamaged as possible. There is a large income tax measure of €500 million which will ensure workers can at least keep up with the cost of inflation. An increased package of approximately €370 million will provide for increases across all social welfare sectors, including payments for adult children dependants.

I want to see people returning to work. There are categories of people who, through no fault of their own, for example, a disability, are unable to find work and the State must support them. One way of doing that is by ensuring we have jobs. That the employment wage subsidy scheme, EWSS, is being extended to April will be of considerable benefit to businesses. This should not get lost among the budget's main components. However, we must approach this in a way that ensures the economy is sustainable into the future. We must balance the books. It is an old-style term, but for someone who is running a business or even a household, what comes in must meet what goes out. People can borrow for capital purposes, of course. For example, we borrowed €48 billion to get us through the pandemic. That had to be done and the economy is now doing well, but we must return the economy to a trajectory that is sustainable and where we can be honest with people about the long-term future for themselves, their children and the country.

Some €11 billion is being invested as part of the national development plan. These are all very important projects. The M20 project continues. It is a project that I feel strongly about. If we are serious about balanced regional development, it must be done. It will not cost €3 billion. The Minister for Transport, Deputy Eamon Ryan, is putting that figure out there blandly. There is no basis for it. I challenge him to give us the details of where he is getting that €3 billion figure from. It is creating a great deal of confusion but I deal in facts. If we are serious about balanced regional development and there is to be a counterpoint to Dublin, it cannot be the case that the two major cities outside of Dublin are not linked, including up to Galway. It should not be the case that I can drive my car from Limerick to Dublin faster than I can drive to Cork. There must be practicalities. We must have certainty in terms of travel. The M20 has to be a key project. I fought for it to be retained, and it has been, but we must deal in hard facts. This project will not cost €3 billion. That figure is now in the lexicon and out in the media, so we need to hear from the Minister. He must give me the basis for his claim because I do not believe that is the actual figure.

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