Richard O'Donoghue (Limerick County, Independent) | Oireachtas source

Europe Day. Let us hope in the upcoming European elections it will be an Ireland day. It is heavy-heartedly I say this because we have not heard from the people representing us in Europe in five years. They turn up on European election day looking for votes and say, "we are here again." They say they are here to represent Ireland in Europe. Some 70% of the regulations for Ireland come from Europe. Ireland is slowly and surely losing its identity in Europe. That goes back to the representatives we have sent into Europe for decades. As general secretary of Independent Ireland, I am glad to let people know that there are three candidates running for us in the European elections: Niall Boylan here in Dublin, Ciarán Mullooly in the Midlands, and Eddie Punch in Ireland South. That means we have three people who will give a voice for Ireland in Europe. We will get a weekly report back from these people to let us know what is happening in Europe. They will not just turn up like the people who are there at the moment from Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, or like the Clare Dalys and Mick Wallaces either, or Ming Flanagan. We have not heard from any of them in years.

The biggest disappointment about Europe Day is that in Europe and in Ireland we punish the people in this country that work. There is no reward for anyone in this country or in Europe that works. Whether you are self-employed and employing people, a tradesperson, whether you are working in a restaurant - no matter where you work in this country there is no reward. The only reward you seem to give to people is if they do not work. If two people work in a home and they try to put their children through school or college, there is no reward for them. They are told they are working, they can afford to pay for it. Yet if they want to get planning permission for a house, they are charged thousands. If you do not work in this country, you can apply for a house and you will get a house from the State for nothing. People in this country who work have no problem working for those who need it and vulnerable people who cannot work. There is no reward in this country for anyone who works and provides for people who cannot work. There is no system giving people an extra tax credit at the end of the year because they are on the bread line, working 40, 50, 60 hours a week trying to make ends meet. They are building their own houses, paying for their own transport. The Government is taxing them on the fuel, 50%, and they are going to work. It is taxing them on food, it is taxing them on the clothes on their back because they are working. There is no reward. How can the Government celebrate Europe Day when it does not celebrate the working person in this country? I hope when the European elections come around that people realise the mistakes they have been making for decades, and that they put independents into Europe where we will finally have a voice and have people who are accountable for the actions in Europe.

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