News | MATT CARTHY TD

Government must act on recommendations of ‘Mother & Baby Homes’ report

Government must act on recommendations of ‘Mother & Baby Homes’ report – Matt Carthy TD

Sinn Féin TD, Matt Carthy, has welcomed the report by the Government’s Special Rapporteur on Child Protection, Professor Conor O’Mahony, into illegal adoption practices in the State. The report has called for a full State apology, a thorough investigation to determine the scale of illegal adoptions, correction of the birth register and for the Birth Information and Tracing legislation to allow full and unqualified access to personal information as a matter of urgency.

The Cavan Monaghan TD said it was now incumbent on the Taoiseach and Minister to promptly implement those recommendations.

Deputy Carthy said:

“The state was aware of this criminal practice of agencies and individuals involved in the ‘adoption trade’ in this state for decades and did nothing.

“It should never have taken an episode of RTÉ Investigates to bring this issue to the fore and apply pressure on government to achieve the progress that has been made.

“That said, the offer of a once off payment of €3,000, compounded by the deeply flawed Birth Information and Tracing legislations currently progressing through the Dáil, represents an insult to those affected.

“Professor O’Mahony clearly finds the need for a full and comprehensive investigation into these practices, in-line with what those people adopted have been calling for decades.

“The state should take responsibility for the part it played, and should begin by taking these recommendations on board, and act to uncover any criminal activity, including those responsible.”

ENDS

Government failure to tackle farm input costs could lead to food shortage

Government failure to tackle farm input costs could lead to food shortage – Matt Carthy TD

Sinn Féin spokesperson on Agriculture Matt Carthy TD has said that government is failing to address rising costs as workers, families, businesses and farmers struggle to get by. The impact, he said, on farm families has been immense but he accused the Minister for Agriculture of ignoring the warnings.

Deputy Carthy’s remarks came during a Dáil debate in which Sinn Féin sought to secure further moves by government to lower excise on motor fuel and home heating oil. Even prior to the government measures it was clear that the minimal changed would be offset by further increases at the pumps.

The Cavan Monaghan TD criticised the Minister for Agriculture for inviting farm organisations to a meeting without any proposals in place following a weekend of ‘kite-flying’, and continued to invite the Minister for Climate, Eamon Ryan TD, ‘to inform farmers of what speed precisely they should drive their tractors in order to reduce their fuel costs.’ This followed a much criticised statement by Minister Ryan when he suggested that struggling motorists should slow down in order to save on fuel costs.

Deputy Carthy told the Dáil:

“Families, workers, farmers and small businesses have all been struggling with the cost of living for months, or years even.

“They have struggled with rents, childcare, insurance and mortgage interest, which Irish workers have paid among the highest costs and rates in Europe for some time now.

“Added to this, electricity, heating and fuel costs have steadily risen over the past year, leading to a cost-of-living crisis becoming evident by the beginning of this year.

“That crisis has now become a cost-of-living emergency.

“Those workers, families, farmers and businesses are now facing challenges beyond anything they have ever experienced.

“Since last September I have raised concerns about input costs for farmers with the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Deputy McConalogue, and his Government. Since January, the Minister has been responding to my appeals for action on farm costs with promises of appropriate solutions, but they have yet to materialise.

“Just two weeks ago, the Government rejected Sinn Féin’s motion to scrap the carbon tax increase that is due in May. Rather than taking action on farm input costs and addressing the new supply crisis resulting from the criminal Russian invasion of Ukraine, our agriculture Minister was out flying kites about all farmers growing grain, a very ill-thought out solution.

“He finally pulled together farm organisations on Tuesday and we were all eager to hear his proposals – he did not have any.

“Instead, all the Government is offering to family farmers is a 2 cent per litre cut on agricultural diesel, which is insulting.

“What is required now is leadership from the Government and real supports to allow farmers help us meet an emerging international food shortage, which will lead to a substantial increases in grocery bills.

“What we need are real supports to help our families and workers get through the cost-of-living crisis.

“Instead, what did we get from the biggest cheerleader of increased costs on Irish families?

“Minister Eamon Ryan suggested that people should drive more slowly.

“I hope time will be made available to allow Minister Ryan come before the House to inform farmers of what speed precisely they should drive their tractors in order to reduce their fuel costs.

“Tonight, ultimately, the Government Deputies will have yet another opportunity to finally be on the side of workers, families, businesses and farmers. Otherwise, they can again prove that this Government is out of touch, out of ideas and, increasingly, running out of road.”

ENDS

Carthy welcomes passing of Sinn Féin motion on disability services

‘Carthy welcomes passing of Sinn Féin motion on disability services’ – Matt Carthy TD

Cavan Monaghan TD, Matt Carthy, has welcomed that the government facilitated the passage of a Sinn Féin motion in the Dáil last week seeking to improve access to services and assessments of need for children with disabilities.

However, Deputy Carthy said that the motion must be followed by action leading to drastically improved services for citizens with disabilities and their families.

Speaking during the debate on the motion, Teachta Carthy told the Dáil:

“The most frustrating and angering part of being a TD is when one is dealing with parents who are getting in touch in order to expedite getting healthcare for their children.

“It has to be said that no parents should have to contact any elected representative to tell that representative the most intimate details of the medical needs of their child to try to secure disability or occupational therapy or any other service that their child desperately needs.

“No parent should have to fight for years to secure an assessment of needs, which the law states should be delivered within six months.

“To reiterate, it is not just that the Government is failing those children and their families, the Government is breaking the law by doing so.

“In the HSE region for which Monaghan is accounted, last October there were 1,956 children waiting for an initial assessment for speech and language therapy, 1,444 were waiting for occupational therapy and 1,105 were waiting for physiotherapy.

“These numbers represent real children who are being denied the right to live full lives. They represent families who are going through the hell of trying to deal with HSE bureaucracy or the hell of listening to broken promise after broken promise.

“I met a mother today who travelled a long distance to be here for this debate. She has two sons with special needs, who have been cared for and loved by their family all their lives. However, they have been let down by the State every day of their lives. They are still being let down. Their mother, who has enough to contend with, had to establish a charity along with other families in order to provide her children with a service that should have been provided by the State.

“It is not good enough; it is not fair. In fact, it is a scandal.

“I commend Sinn Féin spokesperson on Disability, and TD for Cavan Monaghan, Deputy Pauline Tully for the work she has done and on bringing this motion to the Dáil. I commend the motion and I welcome the fact that it is unopposed.

“However, it must be followed through with real action and with the implementation of the words as well as the actions required in the motion.”

The full text of the Sinn Féin motion read:

That Dáil Éireann:

notes that:

— early intervention is essential to meet the health and educational needs of children with disabilities and additional needs, in order to improve their quality of life from a young age;

— the Disability Act 2005 provides that an Assessment of Need (AON) must be commenced and completed within six months;

— section 8(7) of the Disability Act 2005 requires an AON to state determinations on whether the applicant has a disability, the nature and extent of the disability, the health and educational needs of the applicant, and the services required by the applicant;

— the AON process took an average of 29 clinical hours to complete before the introduction of the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) which has limited the clinical time to 90 minutes, a reduction of 99.95 per cent in clinical hours for an assessment, which the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission has said “undermines disability rights”;

— while AON waiting lists have been reduced following the introduction of the SOP and Preliminary Team Assessments (PTA), the professional associations representing the therapists and psychologists providing these services has said that the PTA is “not fit for purpose”, “the direct opposite of what is intended by the Disability Act, 2005”, “dilute professional standards of assessment for vulnerable children in need” and “results in the child being referred onto another waiting list for further assessment. This further assessment does not fall under the Disability Act so there are no statutory obligations for these assessments to be completed in a timely manner”;

— section 13 of the Disability Act 2005 mandates the annual reporting and publication of aggregate unmet need for the purposes of identifying gaps in service provision and the resources required to meet need, yet no report has been published since 2009;

— 212 legal actions were taken against the Health Service Executive between 2018 and 2020 in relation to overdue AON, amounting to €701,000 in legal costs for the State; and

— in October 2021, the Minister of State with responsibility for Disability advised the Oireachtas that the children’s disability teams were short 400 staff;

further notes that:

— there are long waiting lists for access to occupational therapy, speech and language therapy, and psychology services, including:

— 18,303 children on occupational therapy waiting lists;

— 9,532 children on psychology waiting lists; and

— 8,167 children on speech and language therapy waiting lists; and

— a survey conducted by AsIAm in June 2021, “Every Child Counts: A Report into Autistic Children’s Access to Healthcare in Ireland” found that 80 per cent of parents and guardians have had to wait a year or more to receive an autism diagnosis for their child, and 79 per cent said they were not in receipt of any support from either the Early Intervention or School Age-Going Teams;

condemns the fact that:

— in many cases, parents are forced to pay privately for an AON and associated therapies and interventions for their children, in order to access the necessary supports and interventions; and

— the current situation represents a gross and unjustifiable inequity in healthcare and education provision, where children whose parents cannot afford to pay privately, take legal action or who live in areas with long waiting lists, are at a significant disadvantage in accessing the supports which they need and deserve; and

calls on the Government to:

— cease using the SPO to skirt its responsibilities, under the Disability Act 2005, to children in need of support;

— provide appropriate, comprehensive, and clinically ethical AON in line with best practice as outlined by the professional associations representing occupational therapists, speech and language therapists, and psychologists;

— ensure prompt access to a diagnosis where required to access specialist health or education services and further statutory entitlements;

— immediately inform the Dáil of the measures it intends to take to ensure that all children receive a comprehensive AON within the timeframe set down by the Disability Act 2005, and to ensure that these children have real access to the services which they need;

— publish a costed and timebound implementation strategy for the Disability Services Capacity Review which includes targets to meet staffing needs;

— publish a cross-departmental strategic workforce development plan to train, recruit and retain enough health and social care professionals;

— publish all waiting lists for AON, further multidisciplinary assessment following AON, the number of open cases per Children’s Disability Network Teams (CDNTs) and the number of children with and without an Individual Family Support Plan, as well as lists for access to services and interventions which are past their due date;

— establish CDNTs in full, including the establishment of governance arrangements with a family forum attached to each CDNT;

— recommence reporting of data and publication of reports pursuant to section 13 of the Disability Act 2005, to provide an evidence base for future planning of service capacity for unmet need;

— immediately ratify the United Nations Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities;

— amend the Disability Act 2005, to provide for a multidisciplinary, needs-based approach to AON as recommended by the Ombudsman for Children’s Office in the October 2020 report entitled “Unmet Needs: A report on the challenges faced by children in Ireland who require an assessment of their needs”; and

— require the Disability Appeals Officer to apply for relevant enforcement orders where there are breaches of the Disability Act 2005, to avoid parents having to take lengthy court cases to vindicate the rights of their children.

ENDS

Serious questions for Cavan Monaghan government reps after ‘Clontibret to border’ road shafted again

Serious questions for Cavan Monaghan government reps after ‘Clontibret to border’ road shafted again – Matt Carthy TD

Sinn Féin TD Matt Carthy has said that Cavan Monaghan government-supporting representatives have ‘serious questions to answer’ after it was revealed that the Clontibret to the Border road scheme has been again excluded from financed projects this year. That is despite the fact that other projects which were previously denied funding have been now included due to pressure from government TDs and Senators.

The Clontibret to the Border scheme was included in the National Development Plan but it emerged in January that it had been ‘shelved’ from funding by Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII).

But, this week, the Minister responsible, Eamon Ryan, reversed the decision to shelve other projects due to demands from Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil representatives in those affected constituencies. This begs the question, Carthy says, as to the role of Cavan Monaghan government representatives with regard to the Clontibret to the border scheme.

Deputy Carthy said:

“The government must restore funding to allow progress to the next planning phase of the Clontibet to the border N2 road scheme. It is a crucial piece of infrastructure for the economic development of our county and region that have been poorly served by successive governments, particularly in respect of public transport.

“My previous assertion that a cabinet instruction to Minister Eamon Ryan will ensure that TII earmark this road as a priority project has been confirmed by the decision to restore funding to other projects in the south of the country.

“This move clearly begs the questions of Minister Heather Humphreys and other government-supporting representatives in this constituency: What have they done to restore funding to this project? Why have they not been as successful in reversing the decision to stall this vital project while their colleagues have done so?

“The upgrading of the N2 from Clontibret to the border is vital if we are to enhance economic activity in this region. We remember the lofty words of Government representatives at major launches such as Our Rural Future, the shared island initiative and the many launches for the National Development Plan. Those words count for little when placed alongside the failure to provide for this project.

“Money that was meant for this road went instead to pet projects of the Minister for Transport, Eamon Ryan.

“The failure to allocate funding for this road could permanently condemn a project that was a key component of several peace process talks and is an integral infrastructure project for a region that has no rail network and a pathetic level of public transport options.

“It is unfair to ‘sterilise’ the land of Monaghan landowners while this project is suspended indefinitely. Therefore, our local government representatives, including the Minister for Rural Development, have serious questions to answer as to their efforts in reversing this decision.

“More importantly, they need to outline what they will now do to re-prioritise this project by securing the necessary 2022 funding allocation that will allow planning works to proceed.”

ENDS

Farmers need urgent financial supports to address rising input costs

Farmers need urgent financial supports to address rising input costs – Matt Carthy TD

Sinn Féin spokesperson on Agriculture, Food and the Marine challenged the Tánaiste last week to deliver supports to farmers ‘speedily and in a meaningful manner’.

In an exchange with Tánaiste Leo Varadkar, during a debate on promised legislation, Deputy Carthy highlighted that farmers’ input costs such as fertiliser, energy, and feed had ‘increased dramatically’ and were ‘unsustainable costs for farmers who operate in a distorted market at the best of times’.

Teachta Carthy told the Dáil:

“I welcome that the European Commission has indicated that market support for farmers under common organisation of agricultural markets, CMO, regulations can be made available when required.

“They are required now!

“Fertiliser prices have increased by up to 228% and there have been dramatic energy and feed price increases. Farmers’ input costs across the board have increased. These are unsustainable costs for farmers who operate in a distorted market where the dominance of retailers and processors means primary producers do not get a fair price at the best of times.

“I welcome the pig sector package announced by Government but it will not be sufficient to meet the needs of that sector.

“Every agriculture sector needs financial support immediately.

“Will the Tánaiste confirm that the Government will avail of the flexibility provided this week in a meaningful manner?

“Will he ensure that happens speedily and that financial supports reach farmers’ bank accounts as a matter of urgency?”

While the Tánaiste was unable to make any commitments last week, he did indicate that it was being worked on.

Speaking this week, Deputy Carthy commented that “Farmers will be all too weary of previous debacles such as the BEAM scheme, which resulted in millions of euro taken out of the pockets of suckler farmers whose participation in the scheme was in of itself proof enough that could not afford to pay those penalties.

“The truth is that the situation regarding fertiliser, feed and energy prices justified market intervention long before now.

“What is now required is workable and meaningful supports, delivered rapidly and directly to our primary producers.”

ENDS

Dáil hears call for Monaghan Hospital Minor Injuries Unit expansion

Dáil hears call for Monaghan Hospital Minor Injuries Unit expansion – Matt Carthy TD

The Dáil has heard a strong appeal for the opening hours at Monaghan Hospital’s Minor Injuries Unit to be expanded and for fees associated with MIU presentations to be scrapped.

Cavan Monaghan Sinn Féin TD, Matt Carthy, told Minister Stephen Donnelly that the Minor Injuries Unit should be utilised in order to ease pressure on both GP services and A&E departments. He was speaking on Tuesday evening last on a Sinn Féin private members motion which proposed measures aimed at addressing hospital waiting lists which now stand at almost 900,000 across the state.

In an important intervention to the debate the Sinn Féin spokesperson on Health, Waterford TD David Cullinane, supported Deputy Carthy’s call for investment in Minor Injuries Units and indicated that were he the Minister for Health he would prioritise such services.

In his remarks to the Dáil, Deputy Carthy, referenced the previous removal of services at Monaghan Hospital, stating that they continue to have serious negative repercussions.

He told the Dáil:

“There are now 1.34 milllion people in this state on health waiting lists.

“893,043 of those are on hospital waiting lists – it is an absolute scandal that has been decades in the making.

“It is the result of mismanagement, incompetence and a lack of political will to address the gross inequalities that lie at the heart of Ireland’s health service.

“This inequality is illustrated by that undeniable fact that access to healthcare is often determined by one’s wealth and where one lives.

“Week after week, I speak to people waiting for essential treatment for themselves or their children who have been blatantly told that if they can go private the care they need will be provided, virtually immediately.

“For those dependent on the public system they tell me; they also tell the government if they listen; that geography can determine the level of care they receive.

“All too many of the problems we face originate in the failure to deliver proper, working primary care services.

“In County Monaghan the decision of previous Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael governments to remove services from Monaghan Hospital continues to have serious negative repercussions.

“A&E services were withdrawn from Monaghan and resulted in drastic overcrowding at Cavan and Drogheda hospitals.

“A Minor Injuries Unit was eventually established – a great service that should serve to ease pressure on both GP practices and A & E departments.

“But the MIU only operates Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm; contrasted with most other Minor Injuries Units which operate 7 days a week, 8am to 8pm. On top of that, for non-GP referrals, there is now a fee of €75 for patients.

“The result of this, of course, has meant that numbers attending the MIU are now reducing; while the demands on GPs and A&E are growing.

“It is as if government policy is actively trying to make a bad situation worse.

“The Minister asked for practical solutions that can help ease the crisis in our health services.

“Here’s one: open all Minor Injuries Units, specifically Monaghan, to seven day week, long-hours services & remove the fees associated with MIU presentations.

“Governments refused to listen when we warned of the consequences of withdrawing services from local hospitals such as Monaghan – I sincerely hope they’ll listen now” Deputy Carthy concluded.

In his concluding remarks to the debate on the Sinn Féin motion, the party’s Health Spokesperson, David Cullinane TD, reinforced Matt Carthy’s call on the Minister to examine the MIU services. Deputy Cullinane later stated that if he were Minister for Health he would ensure that the Minor Injuries Unit at Monaghan were properly funded and resourced. He said he will continue to work with Matt Carthy and all elected representatives in Monaghan to increase the MIU services and abolish the €75 charge.

ENDS

Carthy seeks update on North-South Interconnector ‘review’

Carthy seeks update on North-South Interconnector ‘review’

In the Dáil last week Cavan Monaghan Sinn Féin TD, Matt Carthy, put questions to the Climate Minister Eamon Ryan in respect of the ongoing review into the North South Interconnector.

Carthy, who has previously stated that the review established by government ‘falls far short of what is needed and what was promised’ asked Minister Eamon Ryan when that review will be completed and whether he intends to publish it.

In his response Minister Ryan stated: “The North-South Interconnector is critical to improving the efficient operation of the all-island Integrated Single Electricity Market and increasing security of electricity supply in Ireland and Northern Ireland. It will also facilitate the achievement of the goal to generate up to 80% of our electricity from renewable sources by 2030. A resilient and well-connected energy infrastructure is vital for Ireland’s economic well-being and the ability to respond to the future needs of energy consumers.

“The option of undergrounding the North-South Interconnector has been comprehensively assessed on several occasions. Most recently, the key finding from the International Expert Commission’s report of October 2018 was that an overhead line remains the most appropriate option for this critical electricity infrastructure.

“Notwithstanding this, I decided to commission a further short review to assess if the overall finding from the 2018 report remains valid. Formal procurement of international experts in electricity grid infrastructure was completed last September. Whilst my Department had hoped to receive their report before now, the experts have informed my officials that they plan to submit it to the Department by next month. I will move to publish it shortly after I have received and considered it.”

Deputy Carthy also asked Minister Ryan of the impact that delays to the North-South interconnector have had on energy security and his views on whether the project could more readily progress if undertaken in a manner that had the support of affected communities.

In reply to that question the Green Party leader said: “The existing interconnector arrangement between Ireland and Northern Ireland creates a physical constraint on the flow of electricity between the two jurisdictions. This affects the level of support that can be provided from one to the other in times of security of supply challenges. As EirGrid’s most recent Generation Capacity Statement outlines, generation adequacy shifts year-on-year, according to changes in demand. This proposed North-South Interconnector remains vital for the medium to long-term security of supply on the island of Ireland, as does the existing interconnection with Great Britain.

“The development of this interconnector will provide reinforcement to the North-east area grid by providing an additional high capacity circuit in the region, thus reducing flows on the existing circuits. This additional transmission capacity will cater for growth in electricity consumption for many years and will also put the north-east area in a very good position if higher demand for electricity emerges through inward investment”.

Speaking this week Deputy Carthy repeated his view that the so-called ‘review’ of the Interconnector will not provide the assurance and clarity that communities need.

He said: “It has been clear for several years that the only way that the North South Interconnector can proceed with the public acceptance of affected communities is if it is developed underground. Such an approach is feasible and credible, according to previous government commissioned studies.

“The terms of reference of the proposed review does not constitute a meaningful consideration of the underground option – it effectively limits the group to reviewing a select number of previous reviews.

“This falls far short of what is needed and what was promised by Fianna Fáil representatives when it was first announced.

“The refusal of Minister Ryan to consider any alternative to EirGrid’s current plans is disappointing as is the failure thus far of local government Ministers to take a stand on behalf of the communities that elected them to the Dáil.

“Sinn Féin will continue to press all government representatives on this matter. A full independent feasibility assessment of an underground option for the interconnector is required; nothing less will do.”

ENDS

Government policy preventing Hemp from delivering for farmers and environment

Government policy preventing Hemp from delivering for farmers and environment – Matt Carthy TD

Sinn Féin spokesperson on Agriculture, Matt Carthy TD, has said government policy is actively preventing the development of a viable hemp sector in the state, and that this in turn is depriving farmers of a viable extra income source. He said that Hemp can play an important role for Ireland to meet climate action and biodiversity obligations.

Carthy was speaking following the appearance of the Hemp Cooperative Ireland and the Hemp Federation of Ireland at a meeting of the Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine last week where they outlined government obstacles that current prevent the development of the sector.

Deputy Carthy said:

“At a time when many farming sectors have faced years of unsustainably low incomes, we must explore all options to assist farmers to remain on their farms.

“Hemp cultivation can help farmers supplement their income while also delivering a new method of sequestration more akin to forestry than traditional crops.

“However, representatives of the sector at the Oireachtas committee hearing outlined a government that seems intent on strangling the development of the sector, in opposition to European Union policy that is seeing burgeoning new agricultural enterprises developing across the continent.

“There is substantial evidence that if government reduce the red tape associated with the sector and provide training for interested farmers, this can be a significant area of growth that can be both profitable and environmentally beneficial.

“Sinn Féin support the position outlined by the sector that regulation of the hemp crop should primarily be a matter for the Department of Agriculture, which could liaise with other relevant agencies, to deliver a clarity and consistency in policy as opposed to the multi-agency and contradictory approach taken by government in recent years.

“Uses for hemp include building material for houses, paper, clothes, heating oil and as a plastic alternative. There is also an increasing demand for CBD products, extracted by various approved methods from Hemp, both in Ireland and internationally.

“None of these areas have been explored sufficiently. There is a need for a cross-departmental analysis as to how this sector can be developed in a safe and sustainable manner. But, it requires vision, ambition and imagination from government that has been sorely lacking.

“If we are to maintain our network of Family Farms across Ireland then we need to be imaginative and supportive of all options, including Hemp”.

ENDS

Eamon Ryan comments expose government ‘disinterest’ in horticulture peat crisis

Eamon Ryan comments expose government ‘disinterest’ in horticulture peat crisis – Matt Carthy TD

Sinn Féin spokesperson on Agriculture, Matt Carthy TD, has said that comments by Minister Eamon Ryan in response to a Dáil question on ongoing crisis in the horticulture sector has ‘exposed the disinterest to date of the government in general and Agriculture Minister Charlie McConalogue in particular.

Carthy said that a full month following the publication of the Working Paper to address challenges related to peat supply in the Horticulture Sector, there remained no apparent workable regulatory approach that would facilitate the harvesting of horticultural peat for use in the mushroom sector.

Teachta Carthy was speaking following an interaction with Minister Eamon Ryan by Deputy Martin Kenny and himself.

Deputy Carthy said:

“Minister Ryan commented in the Dáil that he believed the Department of Agriculture has recently ‘taken a real lead’ – this begs the question as to where the Department and Minister for Agriculture have been for the past two years?

“The truth is that Ministers across the Departments of Agriculture, Climate and Housing have been incredibly slow to engage on this matter, with the issue being fobbed off to various Minister of State.

“There simply has not been the serious intervention that is required at cabinet level – an intervention that the horticultural sector have been looking to the Minister for Agriculture to make.

“This whole process has been marked by delays.

“The Government set up an expert working group to examine these issues. The length of time the working group took, as well as the length of time the Government then took to deliberate on its findings, was excessive. The government have now ignored some of the central of findings of that working group.

“We must put a stop the scandal of the importation of peat coming from places where we have no oversight on the environmental regulations overseeing that process. We can do that by allowing the limited extraction of peat, in order to service our domestic horticulture and mushroom sector in particular.

“The reason why Mushroom farms are so prevalent in Counties like Monaghan is because holdings are small. They were unprofitable. Farmers did as they were asked – they diversified – and they turned small, unprofitable holdings into an economic driver of an entire region.

“Their sector needs peat.

“At present, there is no sustainable alternative to peat. I expect it will come and government and the sector must intensify efforts to find it. But the government cannot wish alternatives into existence.

“The response of Minister Ryan has all but confirmed that Ministers within the Department of Climate and Housing do not intend to assist in the resolution of this matter – as such responsibility for addressing this crisis lays solely on the shoulder of the Minister for Agriculture, who has been appeared disinterested for far too long.

“The Minister for Agriculture should make lay out a roadmap to the Dáil as to exactly how he intends to support the sector and resolve this crisis.”

ENDS

Government policy ‘actively increasing cost-of-living’

Government policy ‘actively increasing cost-of-living’ – Matt Carthy TD

Sinn Féin spokesperson on Agriculture, Matt Carthy TD, has said that rather than supporting families during a cost-of-living crisis, government policy is adding to the spiralling costs they face.

He was speaking during a Dáil debate on a Sinn Féin Motion that called on government to scrap the pending Carbon Tax increases which will see respective increases in heating and motor fuel costs, in May and October of this year.

Teachta Carthy said:

“Workers and families are facing a cost-of-living crisis.

“As people in this state face amongst the highest rents, mortgage interest rates, insurance and childcare costs in Europe – they are also burdened with ever increasing electricity, heating and fuel costs.

“Rather than support families to meet those burdens, the response of this government is to increase them further through the imposition of carbon taxes.

“Bizarrely, after spending months discussing a package to address the cost-of-living crisis; a package that fell far short of what is required; it will be followed by a government-imposed hike in home heating costs in the next few weeks.

“This is an action of a government that is completely out-of-touch with the lived realities of those they are supposed to represent.

“There exists in government a complete lack of understanding that it isn’t simply a case that people don’t want to pay additional carbon taxes – it’s that they can’t afford further price hikes.

“Worse again, government representatives try to defend these price hikes and go as far as to patronisingly claim that these increased costs are actually in people’s best interests.

“In the case of farmers, they are told the lie that €1.5 billion of carbon tax collected will go to them.

“What is not said is that this is a three-card-trick – that the €1.5 billion is actually less than what government negotiated away from farmers in the EU budget.

“So, farmers will pay more in carbon tax, to get less in supports, while being asked to do more for the environment.

“The same is true for all other families and workers.

“Carbon taxes simply penalise those who have no option but to drive their cars or who cannot afford to retrofit their homes.

“They are unfair at the best of times; but to increase them further right now is simply an attack by parties and TDs who are blind to the struggles facing those who are simply trying to make ends meet.

“I commend this motion to the house – the Carbon Tax increase must be scrapped” he concluded.

ENDS