Luke Flanagan (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister. Some people say it is hard to get an answer to questions in here, but I just received answers to a load of questions I did not even ask so we cannot accuse the Minister of this. With regard to the science, which is what I asked about, it now appears the National Parks and Wildlife Service is trying to establish more scientific facts, or perhaps establish them for the first time, on five particular bogs, one of which happens to be the bog on which I cut turf. I cut it this year and have it at home in the shed. We in the Turf Cutters and Contractors Association understand that people who cut turf on these five bogs have been written to with regard to examining the possibility of flooding the bogs, which is ever so slightly putting the cart before the horse. It is like a man who decides to put on potatoes for his dinner before going out but forgets to put on the gas, and an hour later when he discovers the potatoes are still raw he decides to put on the gravy anyway and eat them.

That would not be very smart, and the reason it would not be very smart is it is done in the wrong order. The Minister has not got agreement from people on these bogs and he is now talking about going in and flooding them. It is the equivalent of what the Chinese Government did when it did not get people out of a certain valley and did not get agreement - it subsequently flooded them out of it. Is that the sort of Government we have now?

See this speech in context