Danny Healy-Rae Demands Equal €600 Support for Irish Families
Danny Healy-Rae spoke in a parliamentary debate on support for people from Ukraine and domestic housing pressures, saying Ireland has welcomed up to 120,000 people but cannot sustain current spending levels. He argued the government should extend the same €600 tax-free monthly payment given to Ukrainian families to Irish households and raised concerns about neutrality and local housing thresholds.
Danny Healy-Rae noted Ireland paid over 1 billion last year and "several billions" over the last three or four years in support related to the Ukraine situation, and questioned how the State can maintain that level of expenditure without a clear explanation of a separate fund.
He criticised the differential treatment in housing supports, recalling payments that started at €800 tax-free and were reduced to €600 for Ukrainian families, and saying the minister has refused to give the same €600 to Irish people. He warned of local pressure on housing lists, citing that people earning above a €37,000 threshold can be removed from the housing list.
Danny Healy-Rae said Ireland should maintain its historical neutrality, recalling De Valera's stance in the Second World War, and expressed disappointment at remarks that the State was training Ukrainians to become soldiers. He emphasised the country "has no army" and urged a cautious approach to military training and public rhetoric.
He welcomed people from Ukraine who are working and self-sufficient, but repeatedly prioritised fighting for local constituents, especially in Kerry, and pressed the government to explain how future spending will be sustained. He framed his intervention as a call for fairness to Irish households in the context of ongoing debates over refugee support and public spending.
Spending on Ukraine
Danny Healy-Rae noted Ireland paid over 1 billion last year and "several billions" over the last three or four years in support related to the Ukraine situation, and questioned how the State can maintain that level of expenditure without a clear explanation of a separate fund.
Housing and equal treatment
He criticised the differential treatment in housing supports, recalling payments that started at €800 tax-free and were reduced to €600 for Ukrainian families, and saying the minister has refused to give the same €600 to Irish people. He warned of local pressure on housing lists, citing that people earning above a €37,000 threshold can be removed from the housing list.
Neutrality and training concerns
Danny Healy-Rae said Ireland should maintain its historical neutrality, recalling De Valera's stance in the Second World War, and expressed disappointment at remarks that the State was training Ukrainians to become soldiers. He emphasised the country "has no army" and urged a cautious approach to military training and public rhetoric.
Local consequences and political demand
He welcomed people from Ukraine who are working and self-sufficient, but repeatedly prioritised fighting for local constituents, especially in Kerry, and pressed the government to explain how future spending will be sustained. He framed his intervention as a call for fairness to Irish households in the context of ongoing debates over refugee support and public spending.
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Transcript
I have the opportunity to talk on this very important motion here this evening. And I suppose I, like everyone else, commiserate with the people of Ukraine who have gone through so much. And it's terrible what's going on and for the length of time that it has been going on. And, like, we have to recognise that Ireland has played a major part in welcoming, as has been said previously, up to 120,000 of the people from there. And I welcome any, of course I welcome people that are working here and are in employment here and can stand on their own two feet here. But when we read the headlines of the paper today, and when we see that Ireland paid over 1 billion last year, and we paid several billions for the last three or four years. And we come in here day after day asking for different things and pleading for our own people here, our own needy people, whether it is elderly people, whether it is hospitals, whether it is children, whatever it is. Invariably we're told we don't have the money for different things. And I can't see that we can sustain this level of spending. And unless the government can explain otherwise that they have a separate fund or whatever, I can't explain, I can't understand how we're going to keep maintaining that kind of money. Then, of course, we have a housing crisis here. And then the government has decided, and this is going on since the very start of the war, it started with 800 among tax-free paid towards the rent for Ukraine, now to 600. I don't mind that, Minister, if he do that the same for our people that were brought up here and that are trying to live here and trying to continue to stay here. But he refused steadfastly to give the 600 euros per month to our people. That's not fair, Minister. And I have to fight for our people too. And I make no boards about it. If he can give 600 a month tax-free for a Ukrainian family, he should be able to do it for Irish people as well. Because so many, I know what's happening in the housing list in Kerry, and I know what's happening there, and I understand very well the amount of people that are left behind. And people that are earning so much, if they go over a certain threshold, 37,000 euros, they're thrown off the housing list. There's another thing at stake here as well, is our neutrality. I remember, as a young fellow, when it was on the radio, I heard it. De Valera chastising Winston Churchill for trying to get us into the Second World War. And he gave him his answer. And he, we should, I believe we should keep that neutrality and stay there. I was disappointed when Minister Kani said that we're training Ukrainians to make soldiers out of them. He said it there, and, and, and, and, and that we must stand with the Ukrainians. I'm saying we must maintain our neutrality, whatever, because we have no army. And, and, and, and then he was talking about us winning the war. Didn't were his words here inside Federal City over there. And, and T. Martin said that Russia must be made accountable. We can make them accountable. Deputy Haley Wright, your time is up. Deputy Haley Wright.