John McGuinness: Defends Rural Protesters, Calls for Action

Thank you Comhairleach for sharing time with Deputy Brennan. I want to welcome this debate first of all and say that it's timely, particularly given the outcome of the various protests that we've had in recent weeks. And I want to put on the record of the House that those people that I met on those protests were decent people. They were farmers, families, children. They gave no problems in relation to the stewarding of the protest itself and they were anxious to make a point. So whatever is being said nationally about those that were on the protest, I think that they have angered and insulted the ordinary decent men and women and families that I met. And they were out there because of the frustration that they're now experiencing because they believe that they're being neglected. They believe that their ambitions are not being fulfilled and they're not being supported by government. So the farmers are there complaining about the fuel costs and rightly so. And they're understandably getting their package today. But we do need to deal with the other issues that we hear in rural Ireland in relation to cost of living and in relation to the cost of home heating oil. And I would hope that the government will continue to monitor the situation and ensure that particularly those that are marginalised and elderly will have a package of some sort to take them through to the budget and beyond. We need to focus our policies, our actions, our budgets on people. We need to have it people centred and we need to support community and families. I listened to Deputy Quaid in his contribution and I have to say I cannot disagree with anything of what he has said, or at least most of what he said, in that he highlighted the problems facing businesses in rural Ireland. And they're probably the same issues and problems that face businesses, small businesses, all over the place. But I'm referring to small family businesses that have been put out of business or that are struggling because of insurance costs, the general cost of doing business, red tape and bureaucracy. And I cite one such family, Paddy and Catherine O'Neill from Thomastown, who had to close their business. I raise it here in the Dáil previously. Hard-working family and now the big part of that street in Thomastown is vacant and left without a great existence because of the fact that the mainstay is gone from there. And I think that direct intervention is required in situations like that. The over-the-shop funding needs to be looked at in the context of what's happening in rural Ireland. The context of the closures that are affecting the shop downstairs and the living accommodation upstairs. People made a contribution, they paid their taxes and now they're suffering because of government policy or because of a misplaced policy. And I would like to see their voices heard. Likewise in relation to Inis Deag, a beautiful part of County Kilkenny. And they're being deprived of their development and their future because they don't have the infrastructure in terms of water and sewage treatment. And they've been up and down on the list. They've been second, third and fourth. And no one gives them an explanation. No one engages with them about a plan that will allow development to take place. And because of that, small businesses there, the local pub, the local shop, they're under threat. They're reliant on a business to come seasonally. And often that's not enough to take them through the harsh reality of businesses today. I want to refer to Route 4, a service that was withdrawn from rural Ireland in terms of its connection to Dublin, to Waterford, to be finished in May. And the misinformation that's out there has not been clarified by the Transport Authority. Part of that route is being put out for public consultation. But we don't know if the full route has been retained. The people who travel there for hospital appointments, for college, for school, for social occasions, nobody knows what's happening. And I'd like to ask the Minister, will you please ask the Authority to issue a comprehensive statement of exactly where we're going with that. Schools in Kilkenny are often full in Kilkenny City. And as a result of that, people go to Scolarigal and other schools around the county. But Bus Aird and Tordham today, there's no service. It's shocking. No service. When there is a bus link and other services there and they need to look at it again. It's not good enough just to raise it here. I hope that there will be a note taken of what needs to be done and we'll hear from the Minister. Tamara Whelan in Wyngap, she attended the School of the Holy Spirit. But for her future education, she needs, through the National Learning Network, a bus connect from Wyngap. There is a bus service transport from Tullahocht and Kilmeganny, but that needs to stop at Wyngap. And the bureaucracy and red tape that's attached to making that decision around a seven minute gap is absolutely horrendous. If we're serious about connecting those that require further education to the centre, well then we have to consider that. I finally say to you, Minister, that Kilkenny Corporation and Kilkenny Borough Council were abolished and were taken into Kilkenny County Council in Tordham. It was the wrong decision. And it's still the wrong decision. And if we're talking about developing urban centres and democracy, we need to bring democracy back to those centres like Kilkenny City and ensure that they have their corporation, that they have their county council and that people can engage with them at the lowest level in the pecking order, which is at community level and through their local corporation. It's been promised for years that we would review it. There was a bill before the House today. I hope the government will see the errors of their ways and that they will provide that structure for democracy and for the people I represent. And lastly, I would say, Minister, please tell the Minister for Education to release the schools that deserve to be released into construction phase.