Mattie McGrath backs funding, urges money for SMEs and schools
Mattie McGrath spoke about a government funding offer and local priorities, saying he supports taking the money but wants it spent differently. He argued the funding should be directed to SMEs and specialist schools rather than favouring a single large company.
Position on the funding
He said he supports accepting the money, citing 5,000 jobs at Clonmel Front Rect Investment, but insisted the scheme must not favour one big company and must be spent prudently.
Concerns about favouring a single company
He referenced the government's backbenchers and criticised schemes that are favourable to one large firm, calling instead for attention to the broader business community and value for money.
SMEs and economic impact
He emphasised that 98% of businesses are SMEs and urged that funds be directed to give them badly needed supports and a lifeline to survive amid taxes, penalties and health and safety burdens.
Specialist schools and children with autism
He highlighted two specialist schools in Cashel and called for a third specialist needs school in Clonmel to care for the weakest children, recounting a five-year-old, Ross, who cannot get a school place.
Spending priorities and prudence
He warned against simply 'firing' money into areas such as health without proper value for money and argued the enablers of recovery are small businesses and community-run special schools, which should be prioritised if the funds are spent.
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It's interesting listening to the government's backbenchers to say you'd never think that they were, you know, where the court guess was going on and the government refused to take this money. I have to be honest and say I support it, you know, and I do because we have 5,000 jobs in Clonmel Front Rect Investment. I still support it but we cannot have schemes like this that are, you know, favourable to one big company. We must think of the SMEs and I want to see this money directed to SMEs to give them badly needed supports, badly needed lifeline to survive because they've been crucified with taxes. and with penalties and with health and safety, you name it. It's just ridiculous, a plethora of issues that are going on that are the backbone of our company, 98% of our businesses are SMEs and they must be supported. The other area I would say we have two wonderful specialist schools in Cashel and the Moon, Scull Cormac and Scull Lane Gassad and we need a third one in Clonmel, a specialist needs school and a wonderful footprint that we have of the example of the two in Cashel and we must look after our weakest and sickest of children. Made little by yesterday, Ross, I think his name was his man, five years of age, with all the diagnosis of autism, etc. and cannot get a school place. That is an appalling situation. Those people must be looked after. So, I mean, we could fire into health, a black hole of health, fire into many other areas in the economy where we're not getting proper value for money. But we need to have this prudently spent and we need to support the enablers and the enablers are the people who have the small businesses and in the community that run these small special schools. That's where the money should go if we have to spend it, if we can spend it. Thank you.
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