James Bannon (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)

The Government has presided over the destruction of the REP scheme for farmers. It was a wonderful rural incentive to clean up the community and to help farmers to deal with problems arising in the countryside. The Government has decimated this great scheme and I am surprised the Minister was not more voluble on this issue. He has let people down badly in this regard. Furthermore, in an action that hit small householders and young farmers, etc., installation aid for young farmers has been done away with. The Government has literally destroyed this country.

As I noted earlier, the revolt is under way. I overheard Deputy Mattie McGrath state earlier that he is highly disappointed with the Minister for Transport, Deputy Noel Dempsey, who is from the same county as Deputy Wallace. I can see the Fianna Fáil backbenchers lining up in the Chamber and I hope that on Tuesday, they will enter the lobbies with the Opposition parties to oppose this legislation. Were they to so do, they would do their country some justice.

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