Clare’s Sinn Féin TD claims the coalition has shown no political will to deal with major infrastructural deficits, even though “its been raining for 40 days and 40 nights”.
It comes as this county’s Minister of State and opposition Deputy have clashed over the Government’s performance following the conclusion of the first term of the 34th Dáil.
Although significantly impeded by a protracted speaking rights row, the first Dáil term and all 59 of its sittings have come to an end.
So far, Housing Minister James Browne has admitted the Government is unlikely to hit its housing targets for the year, while there’s also been major controversy over new rent pressure zone rules and student fee supports.
On the infrastructure front, in Clare alone, 51 towns and villages either have limited or no access to wastewater treatment plants, while half of ESB substations nationwide are at capacity.
Shannon Sinn Féin TD Donna McGettigan, who’s also her party’s spokesperson on Further and Higher Education, claims there’s been a complete lack of political will to deal with the issues.
Clare’s Minister of State, meanwhile, insists there have been many positives in the Government’s opening term, such as the creation of 90,000 jobs in the first quarter of the year and the expansion of the hot school meals programme to 32 Clare institutions.
Tulla-based Fianna Fáil Minister Timmy Dooley admits housing supply will be scarce in the short term, but says the Government is due to announce a close to €100bn plan for infrastructure over the next five years that he believes will tackle this.
Listen to the full interview here
