Mattie McGrath Blasts Government Over Rural Airports and Control
Mattie McGrath criticised the government's pandemic response and its impact on rural Ireland, focusing on regional airports and airline staff. He accused ministers of abandoning Shannon, Knox and Cork airports, urged support for Aer Lingus and Ryanair staff, and warned against control measures like Green Passports and a zero-Covid approach.
Airport staff warnings
He said he listened to a Zoom meeting with long-serving Shannon Airport staff who expressed "heartfelt fear" and accused ministers of abandoning the airlines. He argued the State should be expanding airline services, getting the mayhem out of Dublin Airport and giving Shannon, Knox and Cork more responsibility.
Support for regional airlines and staff
McGrath highlighted the role of Aer Lingus and Ryanair and called for protection of their workers, saying rural aviation needs active support rather than neglect. He pressed ministers to provide a "decent modicum of responsibility" to regional airports and to look after the people who work there.
Pandemic response and rural impact
He accused the government of effectively "turning off the tap on rural Ireland" and described the response as a mismatch of dysfunction that was disloyal to the public. He criticised calls for zero Covid from left‑wing figures and the Labour Party, saying those demands produced harmful consequences that should not be repeated.
Green Passports and surveillance concerns
McGrath questioned why the European Commission had debated Green Passports in 2017, 2018 and 2019 and warned that stricter measures could lead to greater surveillance. He warned colleagues to "be careful what they wish for," saying increased control risks locking people down and creating a Big Brother environment.
Media and parliamentary process
He accused broadcasters of stoking fear, singling out RT for reporting that extensions had already been decided, and urged that the matter be properly debated in the Dáil this week. He described the current approach as "shameful" and insisted parliamentary scrutiny was required.
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Minister, I don't know what kind of a debt wish you have, and this government has, on rural Ireland especially. I listened to, on Zoom meeting last Friday, to the heartfelt pleas of wonderful staff, long-serving staff from Shannon Airport. It was just heartfelt fear. And the sheer abandonment of the airlines by you both. At a time when we should be expanding them, or trying to expand them, we have two wonderful airlines, Aer Lingus and Ryanair, and wonderful staff, and you know, what they do, and we know that. But it's time to look after them, and get the mayhem out of Dublin Airport, support Shannon, support Knox, support Cork, and give them some decent modicum of responsibility. Minister, this whole pandemic, and your response to it, or pandemic, as I said before, because that's what it seems to be, you want to just turn off the tap on rural Ireland, cast people's lives away. I have celebrities here now today, from the left parties in general, who are crying for zero Covid. Labour Party is a little bit Labour Party, and now they want to complain about the results of it, and thank God we didn't go there. It's been a whole mismatch of dysfunction, and indeed disloyal to our people, and sub-serving to somebody else. And as far as the Greens, why was the European Commission debating the Green Passports in 2017, 2018, and 2019, before ever we had the Covid? So what's going on? I would advise people in this house, to be careful what they wish for, because we'll be all locked up, and we won't be able to go anywhere. We'll Big Brother be watching this, and I think that's the plan you have. Control, control, control, control. To head off the connect with the people, and certainly anything outside Dublin is to head off the connect, or to head to Africa, or any business we want to go. It's shameful the way you're blagarding the people, and the fear that RT are putting in, coming out last, totally telling us that the extensions were decided and being done. We don't ever come to this house, and RT and other journalists should get their facts right. We have to debate this in this house this week. Thank you.
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