Danny Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent) | Oireachtas source

This is a very radical plan which has shocked an awful lot of people in rural Ireland. They are frightened and afraid about what the future holds for them. They would not mind if the plan was practical and introduced gradually but it sets targets and deadlines without providing proper funding to people to implement the changes the Minister says they will have to make. People are telling me that the reason for this urgency and hullabaloo is that the Green Party won a few seats in the local and European elections and Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael are tripping over themselves to be greener than the Green Party. The people are going to be sandwiched in between and will suffer. A very honourable, fine gentleman in the village of Brosna told me at midnight the other night that people could listen, accept changes and try to do their best but he asked why the other larger economies and countries are not being asked to do the same. Why do they not face the same deadlines and targets? He told me that Ireland has 0.06% of the world's population while China and India have 40% between them. There are no deadlines or targets on them. Why are we being targeted? Why is our little country being targeted? They are the questions I am being asked.

This is going to hurt farmers and self-employed people in rural Ireland because they have to travel. People are used to heating their houses with turf they have cut themselves and because they have to travel long distances to go to work or wherever else, they have to use cars. They have no other transport. People in rural Ireland will not be provided with public transport. They will need their car. They will also need their tractor. On my farm I have a 1995 tractor, so it is coming up on 30 years old. I am no different from anyone else. That is what they have. A tractor is a long-term investment for a farmer. I have not seen any electric tractors so I do not know how practical they are. Who is going to subsidise people to buy them? Farmers are only barely surviving as it is. They are not going to be allowed to cut turf or burn timber when there are trees falling down all around them. This plan is not practical. If it was practical people would listen to it. Farmers have invested great sums in slatted tanks and environmental measures. They are now being told that they will have to reduce production. Looking back, they were told every day that they would have to increase production to stay viable. Will I finish?