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

In the context of the budget, the largest cohort to suffer is working men and women. That is the way they feel. Some people have said to me that if they stayed at home and were on welfare they would come out a hell of a lot better off than they would than if they were working hard every day of the week. They are being hit in every which way with fuel increases and VAT increases for hospitality. They have to take the hit on everything, which is difficult.

I would like to start with agriculture. The Government led us into disaster in respect of nitrates. A Senator from west Cork was hopping, jumping and shouting, but that is 12 months too late. He should have been speaking about nitrates a year ago. We should have had proper compensation in the budget because we told the Government for long enough that if it agreed with what it agreed in respect of nitrates that would lead to a cull in cattle. What did the Government do? It backed the European Union, as always, and let the farmers hang out to dry. Each and every farmer has told me they are being treated like environmental terrorists thanks to Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil. Of course, they are keeping in toe with the Green Party and keeping the party on board. If farmers have to cull their cattle there should at least be sufficient funding for them to do so. A farmer with 100 cows may have to reduce that number to 80, but there is no compensation. We were told by politicians in west Cork to hang on for the budget and see what will come from it. Nothing came from it.

The Taoiseach and Tánaiste spoke for 45 minutes in the Dáil on the day of the budget and there was not one mention of fisheries. Now we know why. It is because there is a 47% reduction in the fisheries budget this year. Last year, there was decommissioning and the Government got a great deal to get rid of them. The same will happen with farming this year. That is all the Government is doing. It is famous for getting rid of farmers and fishermen. That is what Fine Gael stands for now. Once it stood for some kind of principles, but it now stands for no principles.

My worry is that the embargo in the health service will affect a lot of elderly people, including those who need home help and other services. That is an astonishing situation. Where is cancer in the budget? There is no Minister of State. Who am I talking to?

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