Mattie McGrath: Slams Minister over €900m Covid Funding Shortfall
Mattie McGrath criticised the Minister for a late EU Covid support application that he said produced only €900 million compared with the €1 billion sought. He argued officials failed to secure Ireland's fair share and denounced proposed vaccine certification as an 'apartheid'.
Funding shortfall
McGrath said he apologised to European colleagues for the late submission for Covid support funding and called the resulting €900 million payment "paltry" after the State sought €1 billion. He insisted the low award reflected an inadequate and last-minute application rather than entitlement.
International comparisons
He noted that some countries received twice or three times as much funding, saying those governments and officials had applied on time and thus secured larger allocations. McGrath argued that if Ireland had sought larger sums it would likely have received proportionally more.
Fishing and CAP concerns
The deputy raised broader grievances about how Ireland is treated in Europe, citing fishing and the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) as areas where he felt Ireland was being neglected or treated as a lesser partner. He told the Minister that such behaviour amounted to failing to represent the Irish people.
Vaccine certification criticism
McGrath condemned talk of introducing vaccine certification or a "Green Passport," calling suggestions that vaccination would be required to enter venues an "apartheid." He also criticised what he described as lecturing other countries such as Poland and Hungary on social issues.
Historical reference and call to action
Referencing commemorations of the war of independence and a visit to Solidarhead Beg, McGrath said representatives should be ashamed for not serving the people. He urged ministers to reassert the country's position at the next meeting and to seek a fairer share of EU funding rather than accepting a "pittance".
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I too want to go back to the pre-council statements that we made here some time ago and ask the Minister if he has asked again and I apologise to our European colleagues for we're not putting in a submission on time looking for the Covid support funding and to end up with a paltry 900 million. When we see the comparison countries, some who have got three times as much as us, some who have got twice as much as us, I don't begrudge any of them, anything in the morning of an argument, I don't begrudge any of them. any of that money, they're entitled to it. But their governments and their officials had the applications in on time and looked for a lot and they got what they got. We looked for a billion and we got 900 million. So that tells me that if we looked for two billion we'd probably have got 1.8, 1.6. You're not serving the people Minister. You're advocating your responsibility. Whether it's fishing, whether it's fishing, whether it's the cap now at the moment again, we're the leggars now in Europe and we're being treated as just little school by the board by a corner, like shears and shogs be gokewn. And we obey them. And also with all this talk yesterday and nonsense, patent nonsense and a state now going to become here, an apartheid being brought in here, suggested by an effort, ran with by the chief of Martin that we'd have to have vaccinations if you want to go into some place or you wouldn't. An apartheid. And we did have to cheat to lecture Poland and Hungary and other countries about what they're doing and other issues, social issues. We're running. We should look in the mirror here and see the kind of behaviour of yourselves. It's disgusting and extreme. And the men of 19, as we come to celebrate this week, the ending of the war of independence, which started in Solidarhead Beg, I visited there on Sunday and to thankfully, to go on a hundred years later, you should be ashamed to be represented in Ireland because you're not representing them, you're not doing your job by any shape, make or form. Whether it's fishing, whether it's the cap, and whether it's the pathetic and lethargic effort, inept effort you made to look for funding. Germany was spending the money actually six, eight, ten months ago. And we are here applying for that in the last minute and getting the pittance and accepting it. I mean, look, if you want to act like that and behave like that, that's the way you'll be treated. And you'll be told, all that is, cropies lie down. It's shocking, in the extreme. So I want us to go back to the next meeting and try and reassert ourselves as a proud country, look for our fair share, not anymore, just our fair share. We haven't got our fair share of that funding by any shape, make or form. Why would we get it when we wouldn't apply for it? And why would we get it now? We talk about implementing the Green Passport, which you were discussing in Europe in 2017 and 18, Minister. Thank you.
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