Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I will have short segments of it for the different topics. Anyway, it was a meaningful and enjoyable experience, and I salute and thank all the Independent Deputies who got involved in it. We could all sit back and do nothing but that is not the answer to anything.

That said, I wish the Ministers well, especially the new Minister for Health, Deputy Harris. There is a huge job to be done in health. The former Taoiseach, former Deputy Brian Cowen, called that Department "Angola". Deputy Harris hails from Wicklow, which is nothing like Angola, but I believe he is up to the job. There is a huge job of work to be done in that Department, in my local hospital in Tipperary, as I discussed with the Taoiseach, and throughout the country. There are also the medical card and other issues.

I tried to have many other issues included. I am disappointed with the outcome as regards dealing with the dispirited, mean and nasty industry of repossessions. I would start with the courts, the county registrars, sheriffs, the repossession companies and the entire system of nasty businesses growing up around that industry. Much of it accelerated in the interregnum between the election and tonight, because people felt they had no Government. That must be stopped. That train must be derailed and people must be supported. There are some items, including the new courts, to help families but more meaningful help is needed. The Government must put some manners on and respect in the banks. People are suffering as a result of the bailout of the banks. I voted for it and I regret it. However, I did it at the time. A gun was put to our heads as well on the night of the bank guarantee. That must be derailed.

We must have a Courts Service that will respect the rights of the families. The judges should have a record of interests, as we have, with a return of their financial transactions every year to the Standards in Public Office Commission, SIPO. They are not a protected species. I salute them and they have a very important job. I realise there is a separation between the courts and the Oireachtas, but we must have that record of interests. We cannot have cases such as a few I have seen where justice has to be forced out of the courts by lay litigants. We must have respect for lay litigants. It should not have to be tied up with a gravy train for barristers. People cannot afford that and they are intimidated by the system. There must be meaningful respect in this regard.

I am also critical of the fact that more than 70% of Ministers are from the greater Dublin area. I worry about that even though there is a Minister for rural affairs and regional development. Parts of the west and south east are scantily represented. There will also be Ministers of State, but we must reflect rural Ireland. We cannot give it lip service and talk about aspirations. We must reflect at all times how we will save rural Ireland. Its saving is needed. There is much in the document-----

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