Matt Shanahan (Waterford, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I raise the lack of State delivery to Waterford and the south east. I must first congratulate the Tánaiste on a great European election in Ireland South. Billy Kelleher romping home was expected, but having Cynthia Ní Mhurchú pipping Grace O'Sullivan was somewhat surprising. It must have been very pleasing for the Tánaiste, if not for his Green Party colleagues. Of course, Cynthia's big marketing push in Waterford was a video in front of Waterford Airport calling for the runway extension to accommodate passenger jet aircraft to the south east. This is the long awaited runway extension for the south east that was approved at Cabinet in 2007, only to be pulled in the unpleasantness that followed when promised full State funding of €25 million was withdrawn. The contrast for many in Waterford, watching the Tánaiste steer and cheer on the runway renewal in Cork Airport at the start of this Government was quite stark. This Government pulled €350,000 annual stop-gap funding to Waterford Airport in 2020. The Tánaiste was pictured eating a big slice of cake on the €40 million completed Cork runway, which was the quickest capital project in the history of the State. That prompted me to ask whether Deputy Martin was a Cork Taoiseach or a Taoiseach from Cork.

Cynthia Ní Mhurchú cleaned out Grace O’Sullivan with 2,000 voters from Waterford who were simply disgusted at the Minister, Eamon Ryan’s dismissive treatment of the Waterford Airport business case, telling the Dáil that he had not seen it, despite it being six weeks in his Department.

The bottom line is, the runway extension is not happening, just as the promised South East Technological University, SETU, capital investment is not happening and just as our promised cardiac care expansion and investment in our stroke services and acute care capacity is not happening. There is no investment in University Hospital Waterford at all. The truth is that Waterford is being played by this Government. Fianna Fáil is living on borrowed political time, with promises given but undelivered in our city and county, such as the fresh ones Cynthia Ní Mhurchú used to take out Grace O’Sullivan. She was talking from the Fianna Fáil playbook. The Tánaiste stood in that infamous 24-7 photo, with a political promise made in 2016 that got the Minister of State, Deputy Mary Butler, elected and got Fianna Fáil back in Waterford. He knew exactly what he was doing when he had that poster printed it and stood for that photo with that promise. The intervening period of confidence and supply has sailed by, as has Deputy Martin’s time as Taoiseach and four and a half years of Fianna Fáil senior and junior health Ministers directing national health policy. Yet, 24-7 provision and equal funding of our model 4 hospital is no further along. I have a brutally simple question. Will 24-7 provision and the airport be done at the time of the next general election? Will the Tánaiste keep his promises to the people of the south east?

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