Mattie McGrath: Calls for accountability and new Tipperary services
Mattie McGrath spoke in the Dáil about the Government's programme, welcoming several measures while pressing for accountability on costs, mental health services and rural investment. He supported the removal of a means test at the Careers facility, called for local hospital and ambulance improvements, and demanded a bypass for Tipperary Town.
McGrath said he welcomes many aspects of the programme and will support measures that focus on basic services - infrastructure, healthcare and community supports. He praised the decision to remove what he called a "horrible means test" at the Careers facility and welcomed other projects included over the five-year programme.
McGrath warned against runaway projects and escalating costs, citing a water pipe project he said rose from £2 billion to £10 billion before work began. He urged the Government to secure value for money and introduce stronger accountability to prevent similar overruns.
He highlighted long-standing deficits in mental health long-stay beds in Tipperary, saying South Tipperary must travel to full centres elsewhere and North Tipperary likewise lacks local provision. He pointed to an undelivered 60-bed unit at St Paterson Castle and urged reopening of local units in St British and Carrick to meet demand.
McGrath called for the reinstatement of borough councils as a route into local politics and closer service to communities. He also demanded reform of the National Ambulance Service and a new ambulance base for South Tipperary, describing the current facility as chronic. He reiterated the urgent need for a bypass for Tipperary Town and said he will raise the matter with the minister shortly.
He argued investment must not be Dublin-centric and defended rural communities, noting local willingness to help during recent storms. McGrath thanked Count Cohnifer and the Government for time to speak, condemned attempts to silence some voices including so-called independents, and vowed that they "won't be silenced".
Programme support and priorities
McGrath said he welcomes many aspects of the programme and will support measures that focus on basic services - infrastructure, healthcare and community supports. He praised the decision to remove what he called a "horrible means test" at the Careers facility and welcomed other projects included over the five-year programme.
Accountability and cost concerns
McGrath warned against runaway projects and escalating costs, citing a water pipe project he said rose from £2 billion to £10 billion before work began. He urged the Government to secure value for money and introduce stronger accountability to prevent similar overruns.
Mental health and local hospital provision
He highlighted long-standing deficits in mental health long-stay beds in Tipperary, saying South Tipperary must travel to full centres elsewhere and North Tipperary likewise lacks local provision. He pointed to an undelivered 60-bed unit at St Paterson Castle and urged reopening of local units in St British and Carrick to meet demand.
Local government, ambulance reform and infrastructure needs
McGrath called for the reinstatement of borough councils as a route into local politics and closer service to communities. He also demanded reform of the National Ambulance Service and a new ambulance base for South Tipperary, describing the current facility as chronic. He reiterated the urgent need for a bypass for Tipperary Town and said he will raise the matter with the minister shortly.
Rural investment and political tone
He argued investment must not be Dublin-centric and defended rural communities, noting local willingness to help during recent storms. McGrath thanked Count Cohnifer and the Government for time to speak, condemned attempts to silence some voices including so-called independents, and vowed that they "won't be silenced".
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Transcript
I want to wish them well in their new portfolios. I listened to Minister O'Callaghan with great aplomb, because he has stated quite clearly that he is going to support and do a lot of work there. Of course, we all must support, every man and woman, a child must support and we need them so badly. Minister, at the Careers battery, I was aware here, and Councillor Richard Millay, who was an unsuccessful candidate for Schindler, but did very well, is the Careers manager in South Tipperary, and after long arguing, it is included, albeit over the five-year programme, to get rid of the horrible means test. I welcome it. There are also so many other projects, Minister, and what we really need to do is get accountability, and stop the runaway projects, Deputy Nolan just mentioned the partying up to Dublin water pipe, they talked about £2 billion for that, now it has gone to £10 billion before it even starts. We must get value for money, we have a 60-bed unit in St Paterson Castle that has not been delivered for a long-stay, St British and Carrick ensure that it needs to be reopened, as I said, and of course mental health, we do not have a single mental health long-stay bed in Tipperary. South Tipperary has to go to Kinkenny, who are full, and North Tipperary has to go to Innes, and that is not fair. We also need, as I said, the reinstatement of the borough councils, because it was the best way of getting people in politics, and they are locally serving their own people, and it brought on people from that as well. We need a reform of the National Ambulance Service, and we need a new ambulance space for South Tipperary, the one we have is chronic, so there are many, many aspects of the programme that I welcome, and I support, and I look forward to the change, and I really am quite pleased that it has taken Michael Ring's advice, that they were going too far liberal and too far left for far too long. So we are back to basics, bread and butter, infrastructure, look after people, and try and have people recognise the CAM service in South Tipperary is non-existent, and the whole area, you know, of mental health, they are linked, and the frustration on people trying to get special in these places. So I know everything can't be done together, but look, working together, I believe, and we will be able to achieve much, and also the fact that we badly, badly need a bypass for Tipperary Town. I raised it here this morning, or early on, on public legislation, and we need it. I got a good response from the Taoiseach, and I need to meet Minister O'Brien in the next hour to discuss that. Issues like that can't be all Dublin-centric, it must have investment in rural Ireland. We have good people out there, and we have proud people in Ireland willing to put the show under the wheel. We saw that in the recent sense of the mail with the storm. And can I thank you, Count Cohnifer and the Government, we are giving us some time here. We have parties here who want us to be silenced, and indeed we have so-called independent, fake independence, I call them, independent Ireland who want to silence us also. But that's not acceptable, and we won't be silenced.