Mattie McGrath: Slams Late EU Application, Calls £900m Pittance
Mattie McGrath criticised the delayed Irish application to the European Commission and condemned Ireland's £900 million allocation as far too small compared with other countries. He demanded answers from ministers and officials and warned that proposals such as EU passports form part of a broader plan of control.
Allocation comparisons
Denmark was cited as receiving an allocation of £1.6 billion while Ireland was allocated £900 million. Belgium was said to receive £5.9 billion with a population twice that of Ireland; Croatia, with a smaller population, was reported to receive £6.3 billion; and Sweden was described as requesting £3.2 million.
Application delay and official responsibility
He accused officials of submitting Ireland's application months late and questioned what government departments had been doing. He urged officials to 'wake up' after COVID and to provide clear answers on the timing and quality of the application to the European Commission.
Criticism of ministers and national leadership
He directly challenged the minister and the Taoiseach, saying officials and leaders have 'a lot to answer for' and calling the outcome 'a pittance'. He alleged Ireland was being treated poorly in Europe and blamed officials for accepting a weak package.
EU passports and wider control concerns
He warned that discussions about EU passports are part of a larger 'control, control, control' agenda, emphasising that this should not be attributed solely to COVID. He expressed alarm at perceived surrender of national interests, including references to fishing being sold off.
Demand for answers and closing remarks
He repeatedly demanded explanations for both the low allocation and the late application, called the situation 'scandalous' and 'beggars' belief', and concluded his remarks with an appeal in Irish: Go raibh maith agaith.
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What was the delay in putting power about Ireland's application? And I want to know an answer to that. The big question remains, as I said, about the delay in the European Commission and why we only look for a million. I was always taught as a little book alone, kind of by going to the shop, look for what you can get and look for more than you can get and you'll take your share. Denmark, with a similar population to Ireland, is getting an allocation of £1.6 billion. In other words, almost double the allocation of Ireland will get £900 million. Belgium, with a population twice that of Ireland, will receive £5.9 billion under the programme. In other words, three times more allocation than Ireland based on population. Croatia, with a population less than that of Ireland, will receive £6.3 billion. That's over six times the allocation of Ireland. Are we the laggards now, our official? I can go on. Sweden, the population about twice that of Ireland, has requested a total of £3.2 million. And where we are, the goodbyes in Europe, we rock up and we say, first of all, we're months late putting in the application. What are our government department officials doing? And this is across all departments now, because we can't get an answer from them, and even, I mean, they better wake up and dust themselves down from COVID, and look for that, and pony up and answer us here. We're being black-headed in Europe, and we're being just treated like school boys, in a bowl-by corner. Imagine, £900 million and the other countries with similar population get three times as much, six times as much. What's going on? I know where the lackeys of Europe have sold our fishing and destroyed our fishing and everything else, but this is outrageous. And you, minister, have a lot to answer for, and the Taoiseach and everybody else. It's just simply beggars' belief that this could be allowed to go on. That we get such a pittance, and why wouldn't we, but we take what we get where the goodbyes in Europe and pay homage to them always, we don't even look for money. We look for a billion and we get £900 million, and the others look for £6 million and they get £3 and £4 million. So this is crazy stuff, and we need answers. Also, minister, we're talking now about EU passports. This is all part of our plan. We're discussing EU passports in 17, 18 and 19. So nobody blame COVID here and say this is a COVID issue. This is all part of control, control, control. And we're the wonderful boys here. We'll do anything they ask us to do, and we'll lie down and let them eat cake. It's a shocking indictment on our officials in our country that we can come back with that kind of a package, and we'll apply late for it, and we'll apply in such a feeble manner. It's scandalous. Go raibh maith agaith.
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