Pat Breen (Clare, Fine Gael)

Although last Sunday was a cold and frosty day, 7,500 angry farmers braved the cold and marched through the streets of Ennis to protest at the recent cold and callous budget cuts that affected every farmer, young and old. I was delighted to be part of that protest and believe the absence of Ministers and Government Deputies, including Deputy Dooley, shows the extent of their embarrassment in respect of the manner in which farmers have been treated by the Government. Following the march, the Minister came out of hiding and appeared on both local and national radio to try to defend the cuts. While I heard the Minister on Monday morning speaking on Clare FM, it was a pity he did not debate the issues with Padraig Walshe, who came on immediately after the Minister went off the air. However, the Minister did not wish to do so because he could not defend the cuts.

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