Murphy highlights housing and farming crisis in maiden speech
IN her maiden speech as a TD, Independent Verona Murphy called on Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael to stop using the coronavirus as an excuse not to form a Government.
The Ramsgrange woman also highlighted the housing crisis and what she described as the Dublin-centric policies of those parties.
Addressing a near empty chamber, Deputy Murphy thanked the 11,849 Co Wexford people who gave her their vote and her campaign team for canvassing with her, often after a day’s work.
‘Being elected as the first Wexford Independent female candidate to a take a seat and only the second after Avril Doyle to hold a seat in the constituency itself represents change and I, myself, intend to execute that mandate for change in full.’
Deputy Murphy said 40 per cent of Wexford people voted for Sinn Fein and Independent candidates, adding that this was mirrored across the nation. She said that people were lectured by the Government parties about major economic improvements in their lives and yet the lifestyle of Wexford people has remained as it was during the recession.
She said spiralling rent costs, high taxes, unaffordable childcare, free GP care with no GPs to see the children, no mental health services, no mortgages and no homes are the legacy of the Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael Government.
‘Socialism for bank, vulture and cuckoo funds and capitalism for everyone else has been the reality. Middle income Ireland has been screwed.’
Deputy Murphy said people voted for change because corporate Ireland prospered on the back of ‘the ordinary Joe and Mary’.
Addressing the lack of affordable housing in Co Wexford, Deputy Murphy said apartment, duplex style dwellings are being offered as an alternative to houses to Wexford people.
‘Why are children in their 30s living with their parents? Politicians have failed to come up with a solution that doesn’t accommodate their view of the optics.’
She spoke of how the establishment of NAMA led to the current housing and homelessness crisis. ‘Change means policies that work. It means strong leadership and standing up and being counted to officials who won’t listen. People earning the average industrial wage (in Wexford) can’t purchase an average three-bed property being sold on the market for €230,000 without site costs because they can only qualify for a mortgage of €170,000.’
Suggesting a mortgage interest rate cap, she said the Government takes 33 per cent on every new build.
‘People do not need the pension age to rise to 67. It should remain at 65. We also need to recognise that Ireland is not Dublin and life does exist outside the M50. The Government has introduced Dublin-centric
policies that decimated rural villages. There have only been three IDA visits to Co Wexford in 2019 compared to 269 in Dublin. The zero tolerance drink driving laws are overbearing and ill thought out creating social isolation. Rural transport infrastructure is needed.’
She highlighted how farming, fishing and haulage businesses need to be supported, adding that tourism VAT increases should never have been applied throughout Ireland.
‘They should have been a city tax.’
She also urged the Government to push to upgrade Rosslare Europort to Tier I status, to help reduce carbon emissions from an overburdened Dublin Port.
Concluding, she said the Government needs to take the lead on the coronavirus.
‘We must display truth and transparency on how this process will work and are we prepared as leaders. The burden is on the Government to make clear decisions to close schools, cancel large mass gatherings and don’t assume that your message is being heard.’
She called for a special delegate conference to allow for the creation of a contingency plan so the Government can’t give the country the excuse of the coronavirus for not forming a Government.