Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent) | Oireachtas source

It is making a farce of the Dáil and the Business Committee, nothing short of that. They complained they did not have enough time. They have too much time because they have become time wasters in the extreme.

I will address the motion. Seán Lemass was mentioned and rightly so. We have benefited from the EU and from foreign direct investment. I am very proud Clonmel has nearly 4,000 FDI jobs from the shores of America. We must support and maintain those jobs but also the spin-off that comes from them. Apart from the investment in plant, jobs and the social economy, there is also the service industry and all that comes from that. Nonetheless, I have question marks around TTIP and globalisation, not to mention some of our own flagship businesses. Deputy Danny Healy-Rae might not be too happy with me but while Kerry Group, Glanbia and others have great names, all is not well in those organisations either, and I have proof of that. It is said one has to marry the organisation if one wants to work with them. It is the same with this coalition. They were married but the divorce proceedings, I think, are under way.

This is Fianna Fáil's Private Members' time and its motion. We have to support foreign direct investment. I do not agree with Deputy Barry's figures which suggest companies pay no tax. I support the 12.5% rate but I want it applied rigorously so they will not get away with undermining or evading that. There is this myth about the Apple tax, namely, that the Apple harvest is coming and anyone would think we are going to shake every tree. According to those on the hard left, Ireland will be a rich country after that harvest. As I keep saying, they are gone so hard now, they cannot even feel themselves - that is the fact of the matter. They have an answer to everything. There will be manna from heaven, but they do not believe in heaven either, so I do not know where they think the manna is going to come from. That is the way they are and the way they will be. I will not change them here.

I support aspects of this motion. I could not support it all because I have some concerns. That is how we have ended up with Brexit in that people are not being listened to on the bigger scale in Europe. Thankfully, Prime Minister May made a running jump for the country and look where it got her. It became June and she does not know what has happened. Pardon the pun with the months. It has put manners on the new incumbent in office here, and he will not be running to the country in a hurry. The boys will not run up the hill and they will definitely not push him over the top of the hill because they cannot seem to get the right gear.

As I said, there are aspects of TTIP and other world trade agreements I do not agree with. The conglomerates are not being fair to the ordinary producers, small farmers and working people. I am all for workers' rights - do not get me wrong. I am not like those on the hard left but I am all for workers' rights. There should be a fair day's pay for a fair day's work, and all those issues, but I do not support them when they decided to bring in Bills lately to introduce trade union rights and call trade union meetings in the middle of the day. I come from the self-employed sector and I understand how difficult it is for self-employed people to work - at least, I think I do. Too many rules and regulations and too many big agreements are not good because there is too much collateral damage.

Deputy Pringle mentioned the fishing industry, which is being wiped out. What is going on in west Cork regarding the commercial harvesting of kelp? We cannot stand in the way, however, because we are only little people with small say. That was not the concept of which Lemass had a vision. Those were not the ideals he or his party, of which my father was a founding member, supported. All big and powerful is not good, which we know. We see that with the HSE, which is a massive organisation but which cannot provide basic procedures.

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