Danny Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent) | Oireachtas source

Many businesses and people in Killarney and elsewhere in Kerry are very disappointed that VAT was not reduced in the budget. The failure to do this has traumatised a lot of people. Indeed, in College Street, Killarney, last Saturday morning, a man came over to the door of my car in the pouring rain to highlight his disappointment. Many businesses were clinging on and hoping they would get this boost in the budget but they did not. Restaurants, bars, sweet shops, souvenir shops, hairdressers - many of these are under pressure, combined with the recent rules and regulations and the reduction in footfall caused by an influx of thousands of Ukrainians and other immigrants into our hotels, guesthouses and other places.

The Government cannot have it both ways. It can either support our tourism product or fill the hotels with immigrants. It is one or the other. Many businesses are struggling to pay the rates and also cope with increased wage costs, electricity costs and many other rules and regulations. Many doors will close, and every one that does will have a knock-on effect. There is also unemployment benefit and redundancy payments. We will see in two or three years that whatever Government is in office will spend a lot of money to entice people to open their doors again.

For carers, the means test is very unfair. We had a motion about this a few weeks ago and the Government did not oppose it. The assumption was that it would lift the means test. We have a lack of GPs and the Government knows what is causing it. Thousands of immigrants have come into our county-----

See this speech in context