Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent) | Oireachtas source

The Government gave strong commitments to support the agricultural industry. What is going on in the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport and the Road Safety Authority, RSA? Yesterday the stakeholders, including all the farming bodies and agricultural contractors of Ireland, were told out of the blue that the RSA is implementing a new policy whereby any tractor at 40k or above that cannot travel more than 25 km/h. This is effectively blindfolding and is hugely damaging to agriculture. Indeed, fodder is being transported to the west because of the storms. This came out of the blue, without consultation. I want a moratorium placed on this, because it is going to have a huge impact. It will force older tractors with a lower speeds, which are totally unsuitable, onto the roads. It is madness. The RSA has to be reigned in because it is totally out of touch and is trying to destroy rural Ireland.

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