Danny Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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I welcome Mr. Sean Kelly, Mr. Kenneth Fitzgerald, Mr. Jason Fitzgerald, Mr. Morris Flynn, all the farmers in the Gallery and all those in the audiovisual room who are following these proceedings. These are all respectable, honest, hard-working people who have done nothing wrong and who did not set out to do anything wrong. They all love their land and the place where they live. Irrespective of whether it was handed down to them or they bought it, many of them would have found it a struggle at times to do that. This racket, whether it is coming from Europe or here, is caused by environmentalists who have put these people under this pressure. The Chairman and I know that those people have more interest in the hen harrier than they have in these people who are trying to rear their families, get on with their lives and have not done anything wrong. They will not be allowed to clean out a drain or a river on their land. Even if the water comes in the door of their house, they will not be allowed to clean out the river.

There is no compensation for what is happening to these people. One farmer told me that he inherited 80 acres of land a few years ago and paid €27,000 in stamp duty on whatever the place was worth at that time. However, it has reduced in value now. It was worth around €5,000 an acre at that time but it now only worth a €1,000 an acre. He found it difficult to pay the stamp duty at that time but if he had to pay it now, he would not be able to do so it because there has been an 80% reduction in the value of his land. We all create a fuss when a person's house is broken into, a person's car is stolen or a person's valuables are stolen, but this is daylight robbery.

People's farms have been taken from them. This is what has happened. The value of their farms has gone, meaning their farms have been taken from them. They cannot plant them. No wind turbine company will come into them. They cannot farm them at all.

This is heavy land. We are talking about Ballydesmond, Cordal, Brosna and then on the Cork side there is Rockchapel and Newmarket, and then there is Castleisland and Knocknagashel. These lands are not fit; they are not like the Curragh of Kildare. A lot of work needs to be done to them in order that they could be farmed in a fair way. They are not allowed to do that because they are restricted. In other words, they are paralysed from doing anything.

All they are asking for is compensation. It is fine for these fellows out in Europe or around the country. We know a lot of them, these environmentalists. If they want to protect the hen harrier, that is fine. However, these people are entitled to compensation for that. If someone's house or someone else's hotel was devalued by 80%, there would be ructions. These are very quiet people. I have been at several meetings in places such as Abbeyfeale, Newcastle West, Castleisland, Scartaglin and Cordal. These people are very badly hurt.

I am calling on our MEPs, the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Commissioner Phil Hogan - that big man out in Europe - to look after these people. We must represent the minority, as well as the majority. Too often in this Chamber the tail is wagging the dog. These people are entitled to fair play and they have not been getting it. When I raised the matter with the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine in the Dáil back in October I was promised that people would be compensated. This scheme of €25 million will not compensate these people; it is not fair. As I understand it, this is their fourth or fifth time coming up here. Deputy Penrose knows how many times they have come up here.

This is absolutely ridiculous. The Chairman is a member of the Fine Gael party, which is in government with the support of Fianna Fáil. They are joined together. I am asking both of them now to look after these people because they are people. They are not wildlife or species from another planet; they are our people. I can see people here from east and north Kerry and north-west Cork. They are entitled to the same consideration as the people in Dublin, Cork city or any of the other affluent places around the country. These people need to be looked after because they have been neglected for far too long.

I have a question for Mr. Jason Fitzgerald. He has said clearly that he would have to get €370 per hectare in order to get a fair crack at the whip. They cannot sell their places; they are worthless. No one will look at them, which is a shame. As I said, it is daylight robbery. If that amount of money was taken from an individual in a town or if it was taken from a bank, there would be uproar. These devils who took the money did not get a gun to do it but they have done it and have devalued people's places to such an extent that they are worthless.

These people should be allowed to plant their land, which I believe would be a fair option, but there is no option. If people were allowed to plant the amount of land they wished to plant, would that help them?

We will have to fight for that if it would.

Why can Coillte have wind farms beside these places? What is wrong here? It is ridiculous that Coillte, a semi-State body can attract a wind farm. I actually support wind farms. However, in places like these they are not close to many people and would not hurt many people. The houses are scarce. If the people involved wanted to attract a wind farm, I am sure there would be agreement from the neighbouring farmers so that they would upset no one. As Deputy Penrose has said, in the midlands, the turbines are being located too close to villages, towns or residential areas simply because they are not being left out on the hills and these kinds of places where these people are talking about. That is the reason. There is a lot of talk about climate change and meeting our targets. I do not agree with this notion of climate change and the way that some of these environmentalists are on. We have always had climate change. Why not help the people by allowing them to plant forestry?

This could be sorted out in a number of ways. I ask Mr. Jason Fitzgerald to answer my question on compensation: how much would satisfy the witnesses? If they could plant the land or attract wind turbines, what would satisfy them?