Let the data speak for itself - Waterford TD David Cullinane responds to Phoenix

The recent Phoenix column (“They have to be embarrassed!” September 7, 2025) in this paper caught my attention. In this column, the author asserts that there is a “void of public questioning of the political system” and that “our two Sinn Féin reps are almost silent on local issues”. 

The author laments the changeover in TDs at the most recent General Election.

At the suggestion of the author, I undertook to review the Dáil record for the number of times Waterford has been raised by our TDs and Senators, new and old. 

In the first nine months of 2024, Waterford was mentioned 252 times by Waterford TDs and Senators. In the first nine months of 2025, Waterford was mentioned 258 times. Sinn Féin alone accounts for 205 of these instances. 

For comparison, in the first year of the last Dáil (February 20, 2020 to February 19, 2021), Waterford was mentioned a total of 242 times.

At a glance, it seems that Waterford is well represented, possibly better now than it was before. But this is a crude measure. The quality of those contributions, and delivery against promises, is what matters most.

Along with Teachta Conor McGuinness, I have been championing Waterford in this Dáil as strongly as any other. We have been putting forward Waterford’s case and presenting solutions to a range of issues: housing, childcare, education, disability services, healthcare, roads and transport, and economic development.

Specific projects include emergency cardiac care at UHW; cancer services at UHW; the development of the SETU campus in Waterford; appropriate school places for all of our children; school transport; road safety; the N24 and N25; the airport; our industrial and fishing ports; and youth mental health services (a Jigsaw centre for Waterford).

In particular, the author raises the South East Economic Monitor (SEEM) report, which cast a poor outlook for the south east’s economy. 

The report identified stagnant regional growth since 2018, and weak public infrastructure investment. The author implies that our TDs missed the significance of this report. 

As it happens, I raised the report with the Taoiseach on July 15 this year. 

Our long-term development is a concern I have been raising since I wrote the South East Economic Development Strategy report for the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation in 2013.

The Government record is poor, and our Junior Ministers Mary Butler and John Cummins must account for Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael’s long-term failures: the housing crisis, years-long health waiting lists, and high costs for households. 

Waterford has been failed for decades, and they have shared power for a century. The real problem for Waterford is the lack of delivery by our Government TDs.

It is not that difficult to understand why Waterford and the south east are feeling left behind. We know that we are, and we can demonstrate that with data.

There is no funding for the N24 upgrade this year, no funding for the N25 Waterford to Glenmore road, and no funding for Waterford Airport. Of all the model 4 hospitals in the State, University Hospital Waterford was joint bottom in relation to capital funding over the last 10 years. 

Investment has been announced for SETU, but of all of the TUs SETU has been bottom of the list when it came to capital investment. This was information put into the public domain through parliamentary questions that I raised.

These are issues that Sinn Féin have been pushing for Waterford. In the recent election, Waterford changed out three Government-supporting TDs for two. Waterford wants real change, and Waterford’s Sinn Féin TDs stand ready to deliver it.

If someone feels that I can do more or do something better, I am always open to engage and to raise more issues with Government Ministers, Departments, and State Agencies.

But for factual purposes, let’s dispense with this false narrative that Waterford is somehow more poorly represented now than it was before. The people had their say, and will make their judgement on all of us at the next General Election.

It is the responsibility of those in the media as well as the Opposition to highlight, truthfully, what is being raised in the Dáil and hold Ministers to account for their promises. It is important that people know that their representatives have a vision for Waterford and are doing their jobs. 

There is a responsibility on us all to stand up for Waterford.

We are proud to be Waterford TDs. We see it as our duty to work for Waterford, and that is what we do every day. Rest assured that we will continue to prioritise Waterford in the Dáil.