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

I am glad to get this opportunity and I welcome each and every one of the witnesses. It has been a really informative process and event for me because I have learned a lot of things. My eyes are open to things that the witnesses are after highlighting that are going on. They will appreciate that where I come from, specifically south Kerry, hardly any grain is grown, but we have a lot of good tillage farmers in north Kerry. One of the things I am very proud of when I drive up here every day and drive back down whenever is to see the golden grain growing, starting in east Cork and all the ways up along. It is great, and we should never visualise that that will not be a part of Ireland.

The first speaker, Deputy William Aird, mentioned the €65 million that has been promised by Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael. For me, as an Independent, there is no difference between the two of them. They are the one party to all intents and purposes now because they are in government together and in their policies they are joined at the hip day by day.