Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry South, Independent)
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I thank the Chairman for allowing me to speak on this important matter. I welcome the group and thank them for bringing their wealth of experience to these proceedings. They are farming community groups, experienced farm leaders, farmers and people who work in the public and legal sectors. It is great to have the association here.

One thing that I like about the association is that its attendance puts to bed a lot of criticism levelled by our critics who categorised the Irish Rural Dwellers Association as only being concerned with building houses on family farms. The delegation proves that the association, and groups like it, simply stand up for rural Ireland. There are 100 other issues like this one and it is important that the association made its presentation today. The critics' views have been knocked on the head. They wanted to box us in and label us as something we are not, and I appreciate the association's presentation. I also thank it for the excellent work it has done.

The presentation commenced with issues such as insurance, flooding and similar. It is blatantly obvious that flooding was caused by restrictions imposed by Europe and, like the association said, by the Department regarding the extraction of gravel from rivers. Gravel naturally occurs in certain places on rivers. Over the years farmers, not in a large commercial way but in a small way, and if a farmer did not own a digger he hired a digger instead, spent a day drawing gravel out of a section of the river where it was easy to access a gravel deposit. He cleaned up a section of the river and took away the gravel to use it for roadways, stockpiled it for use during the winter or to carry out jobs here and there, and the gravel was also mixed with concrete to cover yards. It was put to a myriad of uses. That gravel helped the farmer and in exchange, he cleaned the river. The hole in the river basin meant that when nature took over again the gravel was deposited in the hole instead of choking the river. It was like saving hay or turf every year. The gravel was available to the farmer every year. The removal of gravel was perfectly natural for the farmer. No fish were killed because the exercise was carried out at the correct time of year. Not at a time when fish spawned and so on.

Today, a farmer would be nearly shot if he was seen going into a river with a machine and a tractor and trailer. That is no exaggeration. If he went into a town and robbed a bank there would be less notice taken of him. If a farmer is seen going into a river with a machine, people will be down on him like a ton of bricks and, believe me, I know it. Unfortunately, that is what people are up against.

One of the first issues I raised in the Chamber with the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine and the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government was that farmers would be allowed, under supervision, to continue the practice of extracting gravel from their local river. I really believe it would do untold good. All members can name every river in their area. In County Kerry one can go along the river from Mastergeehy and Dromod and in places the water level of the river is higher than the level of the road. Whereas in the past the level of the river was below the road but now it is higher in places. That is dreadful. It is obvious that the removal of gravel from rivers would prevent flooding of roads and farms and even in cases prevent the flooding of houses.

The local authorities would like people to believe that county councillors zoned land for housing in places, in areas in which houses should not be built. In County Kerry I know the statistics. Somewhere between 75% and 83% of the land in County Kerry was zoned by the planners themselves and not everybody is aware of that. They would prefer to allow the politicians to take the responsibility for zoning. The politicians acted very prudently in regard to planning. However, the planners zoned land for housing that is subject to flooding and insurance is a major issue for these householders. I welcome the fact the problem is being highlighted.

If only a single recommendation were to be made, I would be delighted if the Chairman could take it on board and spearhead it because he is a practical man. The recommendation would be to allow for the extraction of gravel from rivers.

I am sure the members were disappointed, as I was last week, by the tax break in the Finance Bill for people to renovate buildings in the centre of cities. While that is very laudable and will help people living in cities, I would like to see an incentive for people living in rural areas. If the Government had in its wisdom sought to make a provision for a tax break for people who own dilapidated buildings in smaller towns and villages, it would act as an incentive to bring young couples into dying villages. Look at what a boost that would be to rural Ireland. We need such initiatives.

Last night I attended a public meeting called by Pat Spillane, the chairman of the commission on rural economic development. I wish the commission well but I hope when it makes recommendations to the Cabinet, the latter will listen. Many of the members attending this meeting are going to Government daily with sensible suggestions but the issue is whether the Government is listening. Perhaps the Government may listen to Pat Spillane whereas it will not listen to members.

A major challenge for rural Ireland is the issue of post offices. The Government has already closed many rural Garda stations and should the post office network lose the contract, which is up for renewal, for issuing social welfare cheques it will lead to the decimation of the network in rural areas. The loss of a post office to an area is the final kick in the teeth and it is very important to try to work together to save post offices. Deputy Sean Fleming has compared the broadband service in urban and rural areas, but it is like comparing the speed of a bicycle with a Ferrari. The service in rural areas is not fit for purpose. We must ensure that broadband is available everywhere.

I wish to raise a number of points, but the Chairman is rushing me.