Mattie McGrath (Tipperary South, Independent)

I am delighted to be able to speak to the motion tonight. I compliment Deputy Luke 'Ming' Flanagan, his colleague, Mr. Pat Fitzpatrick, and Mr. Michael Fitzmaurice of the TCCA. I compliment these people on the hard work done and the leadership shown to many other groups in rural Ireland. They have illustrated how compromise is achieved. It does not come about by sitting at a gas fire or in a plush Dublin 4 apartment but through people power, with the population in rural Ireland saying to this and previous Governments that they should be listened to. The people of rural Ireland have a voice, make sense and are decent, law abiding and pay their way.

The Minister, Deputy Deenihan, should be complimented on entering into negotiations with Deputy Flanagan and the TCCA. I also note Mr. Justice Quirke's examination of the issue. We begged for action from the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, "big Phil the enforcer", as people like to call him in the environment committee and in the Chamber. We wanted him to enter consultation but he did not. People must be consulted and listened to. We cannot have diktats from Europe added to in Dublin and we cannot have the Taoiseach, Deputy Kenny, getting pats on the shoulder from Angela Merkel and others. We asked people to put on the green jersey last week and renegotiate the criminal amounts that we owe but that did not happen. The Taoiseach signed the treaty and was all smiles. Bhí sé ag gáire but we must do better. We are a reasonable and fair people who will pay our way.

Deputy Coffey knows there is a bog in Port Láirge freisin. We pay our way and we are an honest and proud people. We are proud of our heritage and nothing is more a part of that heritage than the bogs of Ireland. Our forefathers were able to live and eat because of the turf they saved in all kinds of weather, barefoot and working with the sleans mentioned by Deputy Healy-Rae. There were no machines at that time. They made a living and paid for children to be educated. Unfortunately, many people had to emigrate.

The European Commission and Irish officials want to change this. I do not blame Governments much, rather officials and the bureaucracy in Ireland. The people involved sign off on everything. We have seen figures in documents such as the Fernando Fernandez Valverde report, which indicates a 90% decrease in habitat in eight neglected bogs in comparison to bogs that were worked. I remember ABBA's song "Fernando" in 1974. Do you hear the drums calling Fernando? I say to Enda, Eamon and Jimmy-----

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