Michael Collins (Cork South West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

In the past two years, I have raised over 50 questions of serious national west Cork concerns. Looking back, I must say many of these issues got worse rather than better under his leadership. I noticed some of the same frustration we experience in west Cork at the launch of Councillor Shane P. O'Reilly's campaign for the Rural Independent Group in the next general election in Cavan-Monaghan. A packed room vented its anger at the Government and gave us and Councillor O'Reilly a clear mandate. I will go back two and a half years. The first for the chop under the Taoiseach's guidance was the fishing industry. It is almost destroyed with his acceptance of a shocking Brexit deal, plus sea fisheries penalty points that he signed into law, as well as an inability to fight for any extra quota, not even bluefin tuna, when the rest of Europe has that quota.

I have raised the farming crisis. The Government is asleep at the wheel. It has seen the destruction of farm incomes as it ploughs ahead with this ludicrous Green Party policy of cutting the national herd, as well as applying carbon tax on farm fuel, thus crippling the farming sector. I raised our energy independence and the over-reliance on the UK for our fuel.

I spoke to the Taoiseach about the possibility of exploring for our own fuel off Barryroe and a floating liquefied natural gas, LNG, terminal of Cork Harbour, only to be met with deaf ears. I also spoke to the Taoiseach about people who were waiting for five years in Cork for operations such as cataract operations. Two and a half years later, people of Cork city and county must still wait for five years.

I raised the closure of Bank of Ireland banks in Bantry and Dunmanway and post offices such as that in Goleen in west Cork but nothing has happened. They closed. Castletownbere, Dunmanway and Kinsale banks almost went cashless under the Taoiseach's watch until the Rural Independent Group stepped in and put a stop to it.

Bantry General Hospital is always a great concern of my constituents. The new accident and emergency unit was closed to the public for close to a month and not a sod has been turned on the ever-promised endoscopy unit or stroke unit in the Taoiseach’s term. His only visit to the hospital was overshadowed by the announcement days later that seven beds were to be closed in the mental health unit.

I have also raised the issues of funding for Keelbeg Pier, Union Hall; a stand-alone statue in Dublin to remember General Michael Collins; the closure of CoAction houses in Castletownbere; a helicopter service for Dursey Island, as people have no fresh food there; water shortages in Clonakilty; and the crisis in the ambulance service for patients and staff. I have raised all these during the Taoiseach’s term but my calls have fallen on deaf ears.

On 2 June 2021, I raised the All-Island Research Observatory, AIRO, report, compiled by Cork County Council. This independent report showed that Cork county was 52 years behind other counties in respect of funding under the local improvement scheme, LIS, and CLÁR, in addition to funding for roads and rural regeneration. The report found that Cork county was the county fourth from the bottom in getting LEADER funding in spite of its being the largest in the country. To address this independent report, I pleaded with the Taoiseach in June 2021 to meet the then Fianna Fáil mayor, Councillor Gillian Coughlan, to address this astonishing shortfall affecting the county. To my astonishment, neither the Taoiseach, the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Deputy Michael McGrath, nor the Minister for Finance, Deputy Donohoe, ever met the council to discuss and address this critical independent report on Cork county, which, if acted upon, could help bring the funding level of Cork county up to that of the rest of Ireland. Why has the Taoiseach not met Cork County Council to address this report during his term?

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