Matt Shanahan (Waterford, Independent) | Oireachtas source

With the barrage of Bills guillotined, no doubt the Taoiseach is a man calling time on the Thirty-third Dáil and perhaps my time in this Chamber too. How can the people of my city and county can trust any new promises made by the parties of Government when promise after promise has turned to dust? The Government has burned through €44 billion on capital projects with less than one third of a fair share for Waterford. Our airport, our agrifood sector, 24-7 cardiac care and our university PPP have all been slow-walked and strangled. Waterford people have been loyal to their parties for generations and now those parties are fielding just one candidate apiece. I suppose at least they are self-aware of how much they have let us down. I have kept my word to my constituents and it has been my honour to stand here and fight for them, but can the Taoiseach and his Government say the same? Do they feel they have kept their promises over 24-7 cardiac care, support to our farm sector, our SETU, our engineering PPP and Waterford Airport?

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