Brian Ó Domhnaill (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Tá lúcháir orm an deis a bheith agam labhairt anseo inniu agus oiread feirmeoirí ag cruinniú taobh amuigh de gheataí Theach Laighean. Tá thart ar 20,000 feirmeoir cruinnithe taobh amuigh de na geataí inniu i dtaca leis na ciorruithe atá á chur i bhfeidhm ag an Aire maidir le cúrsaí talmhaíochta.

I commend the Irish Farmers Association for its organisation of today's peaceful demonstration to highlight the difficulties being experienced by farm families, especially in rural Ireland. There are more than 20,000 people outside the gates of Leinster House this afternoon. This demonstration is being described as the biggest coming together of people in more than 15 years to demonstrate outside Leinster House. The Irish Farmers Association is to be commended. This demonstration is a reflection of the growing anger among rural families and the farming community at the Government's continued implementation of cuts to important schemes which supplement the incomes of farmers.

There are 300,000 people working in the agrifood sector which is worth ¤24 billion to the economy and reflects 20% of net exports. The ¤1.6 billion in Common Agricultural Policy transfers through pillars 1 and 2 are critical to the future of the farming industry. It is essential the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine continues to work at European level to secure these transfers into the future. Fianna Fáil will be moving a Private Members' motion in the Dáil this week seeking a reversal of the cuts in this area and a tackling of the CAP issue. I acknowledge the excellent debate in this House last week on the CAP.

I want also to touch on an issue which is affecting families, in particular the disabled, the elderly and the most vulnerable.

Further cuts will be inflicted on home help services between now and the end of the year. The Minister for Health, who has attracted much controversy of late, will sign off on cuts of ¤8 million to home help services. This is in addition to cuts of 600,000 hours so far this year. This is in stark contrast to the words in the programme for Government about the care of older people and community care. I will read what is stated in it in order that the Labour Party and Fine Gael Members can reflect on them:

Additional funding will be provided each year for the care of older people. This funding will go to more residential places, more home care packages and the delivery of more home help and other professional community care services.

We have seen cuts of ¤120 million in this area so far this year. The Government is not fulfilling the commitments in the programme for Government and it is giving the two fingers to the elderly, the most vulnerable and the disabled. It is an outright disgrace. We will have a debate on this issue tomorrow in the House and I hope some of the Labour Party and Fine Gael Senators stand up for their convictions and vote with Fianna Fáil on the Private Members' motion.

I propose an amendment to the Order of Business on behalf of 70,000 people who are being screwed by Allied Irish Banks because of last week's 0.5% increase in the variable interest rate. This bank is 99.8% owned by the taxpayer and to date has received ¤21 billion in transfers from the State. It runs its own affairs without interference by the Minister for Finance, Deputy Michael Noonan, who has an obligation on behalf of the people to step up to the mark and tell the bank there can be no more pain or interest rate increases. At a time when the ECB rate is at an all time low of 0.75%, the bank is charging 4% on variable rate mortgages. It is time the Minister for Finance came to the House to explain what he will do to help these 70,000 home owners who are struggling and will find themselves coupled with the other 100,000 home owners who are in mortgage arrears. In this regard we propose an amendment to the Order of Business.