Dáil debates

Thursday, 23 January 2025

Taoiseach a Ainmniú (Atógáil) - Nomination of Taoiseach (Resumed)

 

3:25 am

Photo of Michael CollinsMichael Collins (Cork South-West, Independent Ireland Party) | Oireachtas source

Independent Ireland congratulates Deputy Micheál Martin and his family on his election as Taoiseach today. Independent Ireland has very serious concerns for our country and looking at the new programme for Government, which is more or less cut and pasted from the last one, leads us to believe that little will change for the next five years for the many people struggling on a daily basisi in our country. While some of Independent Ireland's policies are being adopted, such as the appointment of a Minister for fisheries and the marine, a full rejection of the Mercosur deal and a decrease in the VAT rate to 9%, which has now been promised in the programme for Government, the detail is still very vague. For the many hospitality businesses that have closed their doors, it is too little too late. The omissions from the programme for Government are alarming. These include a freeze on carbon tax increases. This has now been forgotten by Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and the Independents who signed up to this agreement. This is a hammer blow to the ordinary men and women who have to go about their daily business. It is a blow to the haulier who is supplying goods throughout the country and who, with every increase, will have to up the price of hauling goods to our shops. It is also a hammer blow to every farmer in this country who has to use agricultural vehicles to put food on our tables. Shame on anyone who signed up to a deal that hits the most vulnerable in this country.

We in Independent Ireland advised the Government parties to declare a housing emergency but they have failed to do so in their programme for Government. The declaration of a housing emergency would have expedited solutions to the housing crisis where more than 15,000 people, many of whom are children, are without a home. The declaration of a housing emergency should bring power over county development plans back to the people and allow planning in urban and rural communities. The Government did not take on board Independent Ireland's policies on deadlines for wastewater treatment plant completions, an issue that leaves communities all over the country without the infrastructure needed to build. Its housing targets and the housing targets of all other political parties in this Dáil will lie in tatters at the end of this year because homes cannot be built without proper infrastructure. Last week's announcement that 64,000 houses had been started in 2024 was fake news. The facts have been revealed today. There were 6.7% fewer houses built last year, only 30,330. There is no vision in this Government to resolve this issue. One of our main proposals in health was that a medical card be given to all cancer patients for the duration of their treatment. It is unfortunate that this was refused. I wish Deputy Martin well. I look forward to being constructive in opposition in the years ahead.

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