Brexit used as an excuse by Fine Gael not to invest in communities – Pringle
- Updated: 9th October 2019
Thomas Pringle TD – 9/10/19
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Independent TD for Donegal Thomas Pringle has spoken in response to Budget2020 announced this week saying Brexit was used as an excuse by Fine Gael not to invest in communities and services in Donegal and across the country. Pringle says that ‘instead Brexit allowed Fine Gael to implement a private-sector led Budget and to prioritise private vested interests over ordinary people in Donegal and across the country”.
“While Brexit will entail difficulties for us all, it was primarily used as an excuse by Fine Gael and the Independents Alliance not to invest in much needed services and in communities particularly in rural Ireland. The narrative was also framed around the false notion that Fine Gael must be prudent” says Pringle.
“I believe this is a farce and is backed up by the flawed fiscal rules as dictated by Europe. If Fine Gael were really serious about the negative effects of Brexit such as unemployment they would have used this Budget to increase basic social welfare supports, implemented the ‘Living Wage’ for low income sectors such as the childcare sector, protect working family incomes with increased social welfare income supports etc…
“Fine Gael failed to provide anything for people with disabilities or for mental health supports and gave only tokenistic funding for schools by marginally increasing the Capitation Grant.
“Most profoundly nothing has been provided in Budget 2020 to progress the over 100 posts I revealed are still waiting to be implemented in the HSE in the Donegal CHO1 area – meanwhile the Government denies there’s a HSE moratorium on recruitment.
“I balked at how Finance Paschal Donohoe claimed the Government was introducing this year’s Budget with a well-run economy and sound Government policies. I asked how it could be deemed well-run when there were more than 10,000 people who were homeless and open economy so vulnerable to outside shocks and changes.
“Fine Gael is responsible for Brexit making us this vulnerable by opening up our economy more than any previous Government – the significant influx of vulture capital; the financialisation of housing; inflated speculative industries; outsourcing of social welfare services like Jobpath and an encroaching private sector which has compromised our health system. This to me and to many in Donegal does not constitute a well-run economy” concludes Pringle.
ENDS
