Danny Healy-Rae on frightening budget and carbon tax rise

Thank you very much. I'm glad to get the opportunity to talk on this budget here this evening and I say that this will be remembered as a frightening budget because of the carbon tax and the increase in the carbon tax. One would have thought, and a lot of people would have thought, that this carbon tax which was put in place last year for another seven or eight years, that would be paused this year in light of the cost and the increased cost of fuel coming into the country, caused by worldwide prices. But, you're adding to the cost by ensuring that people pay this carbon tax and they'll be paying it from midnight tonight or very shortly anyway. It's going to affect every man and woman and child in this country and especially the ones that are working. The people that are getting up early in the morning and driving long distances to work, mothers taking children to school, farmers, farmers, one farmer organization, a chairman tonight said to me, he said, all we can do Danny is keep putting the diesel in and keep paying the cost away. And until we find that we have no more money to pay because the way it is going will go as far as we can. But it's hard to see that we'll be able to continue in any fair way into the future for much longer. And in the sea, transport costs, commercial vehicles, can you imagine the increase adding to their wars by increasing and putting a carbon tax on them again today? Think about the passenger buses and the cost that's being added to them. Think about the construction of the plane and it is going to flood their income and it's the same with taxes. Any man that has a wheel or a woman in any wheel turning it all they're going to be affected in a desperate way. And then, Minister, I ask you and I ask, and look it's very clear, that the government are staying in POWONG with your support support and they're pandering to E every day and every whim and this is terrible that this is being meted out to people because the people in rural Ireland are being affected the most. You're talking, what are the alternatives? You're talking about wind and energy from turbines out at sea, we're 10 years away from that minister and in the meantime people must leave and people must try to stay warm in their homes and we're importing briquettes, we're importing peat, mass peater, whatever it is for the horticulture industry and we have no alternatives except the Taoiseach over there said the other day that they had two gas burning generators and that they're broke down at the minute and they're hoping to get them working. Imagine that, that's what we've reduced ourselves, close Shannon Bridge and close Lanesborough and forget about the 10,000 acres of bog in Lyttelton and let the people perish in their homes for the winter and maybe have no light. Talk about retrofit and insulation, two and a half years of weight, all we will see is big new shiny buses in Dublin and and the people in rural areas suffering. Imagine that diesel and petrol is gone to 165 a gallon and and a litre and almost a euro for green for green for green diesel. Then Minister our health, I I don't accept that what has been suggested for health here today will solve the problems that we have been highlighting in relation to UHK University Hospital in Chile. People, elderly people, 90 years of age and more waiting for three days on on on corridors and in corridors on trolleys and the ambulance services that is is is not acceptable that we're getting it at the present time. It was shared because there was reconfiguration to the ambulance service put in place back in 2012 and top team but now it's manifested itself that there could often be no hospital ambulance to be found in Tralee, Killarney or Kinmeyer or Karsavine because they they may have gone to Kark and be sent to Kinsale or somewhere else around the country and people waiting on the side of the road after an accident. Farmers with their fingers cut up and and and and another farmer after a bull attack him and no no no no ambulance to be found. Nurses are worn out working and because of the working so hard with less numbers. Nurses are leaving in their drawers for Australia. We need more doctors in our hospitals consultants and we need the teams that go with them. It's no good in the world and appoint a pointy consultant if we don't have the team with team with him. I I welcome the the the extra assistance that can be given to child care workers and and and the college students you know getting that they're allowed to travel on buses for half years. I welcome that but I'm the the big problem for students in Killarney and the career is they have to drive to Kark and to other colleges because they can't get accommodation and the other thing minister and it's a very simple thing they should be allowed to work more and earn more than four and a half thousand students that's something that should be looked at and and the reduction of the 45 kilometer to 30 kilometers that is that is that is welcome as well minister and housing I'm asking to go back to the old model of buying sites and it and give the full and the full into the local authorities and and build social houses like was doing on the passion which was successful. Rural cottages and on people's own applicants own land that should be and that should we should go back to that. Demountable homes give funding to the local authorities for that raise the cap limit for families to qualify for council houses a couple a couple and two children the cap is thirty three thousand six hundred honestly how could they afford to go off and buy a house of their own. Planning for one of houses is is is this is restricted. Board Penale refused 95% of the the applications that are the grants that are granted in rural carry. There is when someone some objector some nosy, good for nothing, person appeals the the decision of Kerry County Council. Board Penale do not recognize our county development plan that when Kerry County Council grants an application they refuse it. Then we have another boy out the planning record letter he's dictating that less land should be zoned. How can we build houses if we don't zone land? So Minister I say to you the fishermen are being left on. The government has lifted down on the Brexit talks and the fact the farmers are also left on and then also they they and wait just a second now the market and the farmer and the IFA and and all the managed the the the family organizations are feel that they have been left on in this budget. Reductions of the head that the forest refilling licenses they're being left on in many many many ways. Just just one thing to say to the Minister I know a man driving his own machine at 250 euros more he's paying for diesel now since since the middle of the summer because of the extra cost and you're adding to that man's walls by by am putting extra carbon tax on him. Thank you Deputy Healy-Roy.