Michael Collins (Cork South West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

Agriculture is a bit like fisheries in that it has been thrown to the dogs by previous governments and by this Government in particular. I spent several hours canvassing in Macroom mart last Saturday. I met many farmers who are furious about how the Government has acted. They are absolutely livid. When Deputy Tóibín spoke about a Dublin-oriented Government, they were nodding in disbelief across the House, but the bottom line is that they are not delivering for rural people. I have great respect for Deputy Murnane O'Connor who is probably one of the finest TDs on the Government side but she said she was delighted to see the Taoiseach visiting her constituency. I would be mortified to have him visiting my constituency. The Minister for agriculture and the Taoiseach's two predecessors - Micheál Martin and Leo Varadkar - have visited my constituency of Cork South-West. They nearly wore a track down to Ballyroe, probably creating potholes. That is the only good they did for the constituency. They did not even fill the bloody potholes, or maybe the council filled them when they were due to visit. They did nothing for the people of Ballyroe and Timoleague in west Cork, who have the best quality grounds down there and showed the country that changes could be made in regard to nitrates, and got no thanks for it.

The IFA and the ICSA keep pushing but they are pushing up against a dead rock. The dairy farmers, suckler farmers and tillage farmers are all severely suffering. Carbon tax has been foisted on them with no thanks, no sympathy and no understanding of the crisis they are in. There was little or nothing done in the recent crisis with the bad weather. A compensation package was put in place but it was a difficult package for most ordinary hard-working farmers to obtain. That put more difficulties on people. There are payments. Previous speakers, including Michael Healy-Rae, Danny Healy-Rae and Mattie McGrath, have referred to the payments that farmers desperately need. There is very little between getting a payment and not getting it. It is not happening for them. I ask the Minister to sit up and wake up. It is pointless visiting constituencies. He visited Union Hall and Keelbeg Pier and nothing happened. Two taoisigh also visited and nothing ever happened.

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