Deputy Mick Wallace was supportive of his native county in Dail Éireann last night as the debate on Budget 2019 rambled on and he expressed concerns for Rosslare Europort and Duncannon.
Deputy Wallace said; “I come from Wexford, one of the most under-privileged areas of the country. Our unemployment rate is still 14%. We have significant challenges around mental health and all the other social problems that go with it.
“I was amused to hear the Minister, Deputy Donohoe, say that there was €587 million to be invested in the ports in Ireland, Dublin, Cork, Shannon and Foynes, to enhance national and international connectivity. The Minister also told us that the Government is bulletproof ready for Brexit. “Has the Government heard of a place called Rosslare, because there is a port down there? It is the nearest port to Europe. After the Brexit vote, in 2016, there was a study set up at the Irish Maritime Development Office to look at the use of the UK land bridge. The purpose of the report was to establish the volume of traffic using the UK land bridge currently, the potential consequences that Brexit will have on land-bridge usage and the various alternative options that may be viable.
“Two and half years later, there is still no report. Does the Government give a damn? It would be such a lift if there was State investment in Rosslare. The Government was happy for Irish Rail still to own the place and bleed it of the profits every year. There has been no investment in it for years. It could make a big difference to Wexford but I do not see any appetite for or interest in it.
“When they see deprived areas that need help such as Wexford, why was there nothing in the budget today to target them? Wexford is not the only one. In terms of deprivation, we are in the top three, with Donegal and Longford. We do not see proactive Government action to address the problems in these places.”
Deputy Wallace also mentions Duncannon.
“There is a small village in the south of Wexford called Duncannon. The residents there have been on to me for a couple of years about a footpath of 300 metres that they want to extend from the playground to the village. It would also connect to a housing estate with 56 houses.
“The road there is really dangerous. If there is a person walking on the road and two cars meet, one of the cars has to stop for fear of hitting him or her. When the local authority is asked why it will not build the footpath, it states honestly that it does not have the money.
“Given that the local authorities are totally dependent on central government for money, the Government would give them money for such projects if it actually cared about rural areas. It is not giving enough.
“Any notion that the budget is connected to the reality of people’s lives has been well challenged by the Minister for Finance, Deputy Paschal Donohoe. I am talking about the lack of reality in the budget and the disconnect between its provisions and real Ireland.”
If we had a good Government they would obviously care about every part of this Island – if we didn't know it already, #Budget2019 makes clear that addressing the social and economic problems of a deprived county like #Wexford is not high on their agenda…. pic.twitter.com/XmgccqyHCP
— Mick Wallace (@wallacemick) October 9, 2018