Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Deputy O'Donoghue comments on aviation were perhaps the most extraordinary I have heard made by a Deputy from Limerick and the mid-west make in some time. I hope those who work in Shannon Airport and who depend on a living from aviation in his county and region, and who work in tourism who are eager to see the return of international tourists to our shores and who recognise the value of aviation in doing that, heard Deputy O'Donoghue's comments this evening. The comments he made about aviation and airlines pertain to the industry and the sector - in Shannon Airport and other airports - that we want to rebuild because they are employers, they add value to our economy, they bring tourists into our country, and they generate the access that has been at the heart of our country being able to grow in recent years. In particular, few parts of the country understand that more than the mid-west. I hope people there listened carefully to what the Deputy said in this debate.

Deputy Shortall made the case that what we have seen during the pandemic demonstrates the failure and weakness of our society and economy. Of course, I am deeply aware of the loss of life, loss of livelihoods and the loss of health. However, the way our public services are funded and led, and have been organised by this Government and the last one, while facing enormous strain, has been at the heart of how our country has been resilient in the face of a pandemic. That is not a narrative all about failure and vulnerability. It is a complex and objective reality that acknowledges there is much that we still need to do better and improve on, and also acknowledges that the fundamentals within our public services played such an important role in helping our country preserve the health of many at a time of challenge.

Deputy Connolly made the point about how the language used is a threat to democracy. She spoke about language that is devoid of meaning, which led to my response to her. Deputy Connolly is wrong. The language that is a threat to our democracy is that which drips with venom and which implies that anyone who is an opponent is always an enemy and that anyone whose intentions are different are that of an elite. I hear that language in this Chamber all the time. It is not the language devoid of meaning that is a threat, but the language that is full of a meaning that implies only those who make a charge are capable of representing those who we serve in this House.

An equal test to where we stand is the suggestion that actions, efforts and policies yield no meaning and no results. I wish to relate that point to the charges about public transport and agriculture. I refer to the charges made about agriculture. No reference was made to the work done by the Minister, Deputy Charlie McConalogue, and his recent confirmation of Common Agricultural Policy funding of €3.9 billion, €2.3 billion of which will come from the Exchequer. That is real support for dairy, beef and tillage farmers. They are policies that are making and will make a different. There was no acknowledgement of that in the debate or of the many challenges our rural communities and farmers face, which we appreciate.

There were charges about transport, in which no reference was made about the 165 electric buses that will be on our roads next year as a result of this budget. There was no reference to the 81 new buses that will be put on our roads for regional and local services. There was no reference to the increased grants that are being made available to help with retrofitting and the purchase of vehicles that over time will be better for our environment. If a threat is to be found, it is in the lack of acknowledgement of those kinds of measures while charges are being made that bears refuting in this concluding debate.

I refer to the points raised by Deputy Tóibín on our situation with Covid and the deprivation of children who cannot exercise. I agree with the Deputy that it is a deprivation. However, it is difficult to acknowledge credibility in his arguments given his opposition to the use of Covid vaccination certificates, which he has in common with Sinn Féin, of course.

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