Mattie McGrath (Tipperary South, Independent)

The seating arrangements are difficult where I am sitting, but I will address the Chair. Anyway, I wish the Minister well in politics. He has been in it a lot longer than I have. He is a practical man from a neighbouring constituency to mine. He used to be practical and he used to listen to the people, empathise with them and work for them, but that has all changed. When Fine Gael Party Deputies were here on this side for the past 14 years, it seemed there was nothing they would not have done for the people if it were not for the chastity belt that the Fianna Fáil Party and the others were putting them into. Now they are in Government and they think they have carte blanche to do what they like. The officials are running the show, not Minister Big Phil, as I call him. He is not running it. I know he was out in Zambia or somewhere last week. I do not know what he was looking at, but I hope he was looking at holes in the ground out there to see what kind of septic systems they have.

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