Michael Fitzmaurice (Roscommon-Galway, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I would not be afraid of, say, ordinary soil. I would have no fear of ordinary soil. Yes, I would be watching the Ps and Ks. That land would be fairly okay but I would be frightened of the Listowels and the Offalys of this world where the peaty soil is. That is where my big concern would be. Unless there are cushions put in there for Ireland, we are going to sell our farmers down the Swanee in those areas. Mr. Ryan referred to 10 cm but if it is bog it is bog; if it is peat, it is peat. I am dealing with land long enough and if you shore it, when you go down below the grass you will see what it is. However, it is farming and is keeping farms sustainable. My fear is that we are leaving out a cohort of the country from Donegal downwards. It is the same as the nature restoration law. There is the habitats directive, the nature restoration law and this soil thing and it is nearly like three Jocelyns storm winds yesterday evening coming at you that are going to be detrimental. It is not now and in five or ten years' time. What we sign up to now will hit us. Someone will ask how that happened and they will say, "Well, they were in debating that one day and then it come forward". Can the Department get this pushed out altogether to after May, when this parliament is over? Hopefully, there may be different politicians in the next time.