Mattie McGrath: Blasts Officials for Post-Brexit Chaos
Mattie McGrath criticised government handling of the UK disengagement, saying briefings from the Taoiseach, the Tanaiste and officials misled businesses and left agriculture, fishing and trade exposed. He argued the fishing industry had been "sold out", blamed excessive bureaucracy for burdening hauliers and traders, and demanded accountability from senior officials.
Government briefings and preparedness
He said he attended multiple briefings with the Tanaiste and the Taoiseach and was repeatedly told everything would be "hunky-dory", yet in practice very little was in place and officials had not developed new access points or methods to move goods to the UK.
Impact on businesses and hauliers
He described a "massive blow" to the economy, agriculture, fishing and common trade, saying businesses and hauliers were now "snowed under with paperwork". He recalled warning signs raised shortly before Christmas by Debby Murphy and himself about practical problems facing traders and transport operators.
Fishing industry grievances
He accused negotiators of trading away Irish fishing interests, saying the fishing industry had been the "sacrificial lamb" and that Mr. Barnier, as EU Trade Commissioner, had looked after French fishermen at the expense of Irish fishermen. He noted Deputy Michael Collins had raised questions about the proportions of catch being discussed.
Civil service and accountability
He criticised the growth of bureaucracy under senior mandarins and questioned whether officials who gave reassurances should be held to account. He highlighted a senior civil servant being rewarded with an 82,000-a-year appointment as an example of a system that must face the people.
On the UK's decision and warnings
He said the British made a sovereign decision to disengage from the EU and argued they respected democracy in doing so. He lamented that Ireland had received plenty of warning but failed to heed it, leaving the country to manage the resulting problems.
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I too am glad to be able to speak here today but I'm really quite sad because you know we've spoken in several times and indeed I attended a number of briefings with the Tanaiste and indeed with the Taoiseach right through you know 2019 and before and you know I know the Tanaiste put endless hours and endless hours of debate into this but it's a massive blow to our economy, our agricultural, our fishing and indeed just common trade and only shortly before Christmas Debby Murphy from the former road holiday are obviously business but also now elected TD and I railed here about issues that were facing us like a night was getting dark and the ministers and their official told us blatantly that everything would be hunkered over here, everything was in order, we had everything that was needed to be in place in place but sadly we had very little in place and I had some lady on the revenue the other morning then given out about the holiday is not happening all their paperwork, remember Halliers and any business person now is snowed under with paperwork and that's one of the main reasons I believe that the British disengage from the EU, paperwork and bureaucracy and we have our mandarin's here are exemplary on putting more paperwork on top of that and rules and regulations and we haven't access ports, we haven't taught new initiatives and ways of getting our goods across to the UK but we were all informed here by the T-shirt, Tanaiste and others that everything was going to tell us that everything was going to be hunky-dory and officials are telling them, is there any accountability with these officials that taught us that and let us believe that and let us believe that, put our head in a bag and decided everything was grand. So there is in the face that we are going to have a multiplicity of problems and the fishing industry then was traded and sold out. It happened in 1973, Minister, when your late dad was here in the Dáil, I understand and God rest him. They had been the sacrificial lamb here, they had been destroyed and we had Mr. Barnier, supposed to be the EU Trade Commissioner, he was dealing and looking after the French fishermen at the cost of the Irish fishermen and Deputy Michael Collins raised it here, who was this percentage of fish they were talking about? Because they are all fish that we are talking about, our Irish people's fish and livelihoods in the fishing industry that were going to be decimated and it has happened. As sure as night as Father Day and they got dacked and they got dawned about and after. But no, we have such a bureaucratic system here now, what do we do here? Reward one of our senior civil servants to take over health, reward them by 82,000 a year. It's time they were held accountable to the people and face the people and because they are not fit for purpose here. We have plenty warning. The British people decided and I had the previous deputy saying he was sorry and they made a mistake, whatever. They are sovereign, they don't like Lisbon here and Nice and we made people vote twice. They respect democracy over there. They gave us plenty warning, we didn't heed it and now we have to mess to engage with. And it is a pity that they are gone but they made that for very good reasons. Go to Marcos.
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