Paschal Mooney (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

First, I wish to put on record the appreciation of this side of the House for - I am sure all sides of the House will support the good wishes to - Mr. David Begg, the general secretary of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, who has announced his retirement, to take effect next March. I had the pleasure of working with Mr. Begg when he was an active member of the Forum on Europe. He will be well known because of the excellent work he did as chief executive officer of Concern before taking over his current job. I wish him well in his retirement and he has made an enormous contribution to trade unionism and to other areas of life. He pointed out something on which the Leader might comment, which is that 48 trade unions represent 800,000 workers, which he believes to be too widely structured. It is under-resourced and is open to dissent. There certainly is a message in this regard that perhaps could be addressed. I am unsure whether the Government has a role in this regard but 48 unions representing 800,000 workers appears to be somewhat excessive.

I call on the Minister for Education and Skills to come to the House to discuss the junior certificate reform proposals that have caused enormous dissent and controversy among the teaching profession. The TUI is balloting on whether it should take strike action in this regard and these proposals have been met with stiff resistance by the teaching unions. The other two unions have today called on the Minister to abolish her predecessor's proposals. On foot of the discussions I have had with members of the teaching profession in my native town of Drumshanbo and in County Leitrim in general, I certainly support that view. I call on the Minister for Education and Skills to come before the House today to clarify her position regarding the junior certificate and how she will respond to the trade union movement. I propose an amendment to the Order of Business calling on her to come to the House today.

I commend the Government on its decision to announce the by-elections and to have moved the writs for them in the other House yesterday. While I commend it, that is as far as I will go in so doing because this will give an opportunity to the voters of Roscommon-South Leitrim and Dublin South-West to respond to the Government's actions in a wide range of areas. It is a Government of broken promises that has introduced political spin to a degree far greater than any previous Administration and which has imposed punitive taxes on people, particularly water charges. This is of particular interest in Roscommon-South Leitrim where approximately 21,000 families are unable to access fresh water that is clear and healthy. They now will be expected to pay this iniquitous water charge. Later today in the other House, Government Deputies will troop into the lobbies to oppose a motion tabled by my colleague, Deputy Cowen, calling for an exemption for the aforementioned 21,000 families and other families nationwide who, because of the manner in which water has been regulated, are unable to access clean, fresh and healthy water. However, they will be expected to pay this punitive tax.

Members also have learned there is no clarity surrounding those who will be able to have a medical exemption. Why has the Government, not for the first time, introduced laws, only to be obliged to come back months later to figure out precisely how it will implement them? This should have been done months ago. The Government should have been able to explain to people months ago, particularly those with a medical condition, how much they will be obliged to pay. Irish Water has stated that it will rely on the honesty of citizens and is not even going to ask them for medical evidence. Consequently, real issues arise that affect people in Roscommon-South Leitrim. In addition, in the constituency of Dublin South-West, taxes have been imposed and there have been reductions by the Department of Social Protection that have affected lone-parent families and those who are most vulnerable in society who live in the Tallaght and south-west Dublin area.

I ask the Government to get its act together. All one has heard in recent months is spin about the economy recovering. The Government should tell that to the people of Tallaght and Roscommon-South Leitrim as a two-tier recovery is under way. While one part of the country is gaining a little, where I come from, down in the midlands and the west, there certainly is nothing other than people saying the Government has neglected rural Ireland and could not care less about it. The people will decide on 10 October and I hope they decide in favour of non-government candidates. Fianna Fáil has two excellent candidates in those constituencies, namely, John Lahart in Dublin South-West and Ivan Connaughton in Roscommon-South Leitrim. I hope to see them as Deputies in the Oireachtas after 10 October, which would be a response to this iniquitous Government.