Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance) | Oireachtas source

As we have been over the argument, I will try not to repeat it. While we want to protect agriculture and the specific character of the economy and important sectors in it must be a consideration, in addition to what Deputy Mick Wallace has said on the matter, putting all one's eggs in one basket is dangerous, not just from an environmental point of view but from every point of view. We have made these mistakes before with disastrous consequences, for example, the property basket. It is a mistake to set off the absolute imperative to transform the economy to deal with climate change against the defence of a singular view of agricultural interest and Irish agriculture. We need to diversify in a very considerable way what we consider to be agriculture and not to have all of our eggs in one or two baskets.

While we are throwing out good ideas, albeit slightly off the specific amendment, a simple measure a Government could take would be to have a scheme in the public service and the Civil Service whereby everybody would have the opportunity to move within them to work in any outlet near to where he or she lived. People would enthusiastically embrace it, given that it would improve their quality of life.

It would also very significantly reduce needless transport for many people commuting from one part of the city to the other if there was an option for them to work in the public or Civil Service closer to home. That is a specific measure which the Minister could consider.