Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent) | Oireachtas source

The Minister is misunderstanding us. We spoke earlier about vulture funds.

Different amendments were discussed this evening about the €5.5 billion written off for our banking friends and the Minister did not want to listen to that either. This is rural Ireland that we are talking about.

I want to pick the Minister up on the idea that he did not tell anyone. Someone told a leading farming organisation. We did not have time to read the Minister's books during the summer before the budget but we will have plenty of time if he keeps going the way he is because we will have nothing to do in rural Ireland except watch the computer and we cannot do that because we cannot get broadband. We will have to buy the papers or we will have to go into the towns to go onto the web. The people of rural Ireland have nothing else to do. This is a simple issue that will rejuvenate small villages and do the very things that the scheme rolled out in Edgeworthstown is supposed to do - the Four Roads to Glenamaddy - all that was missing that day was Big Tom. This would help but this was not allowed. We are not talking about all farmers, we are talking about small businesses and shopkeepers. We said non-residential holdings; that does not mean all land. It is shops for clothes and hardware, hairdressers and whatever else; they are all over the place. If one drives anywhere, one will see them. The Minister is missing the point. The whole area of stamp duty is a dangerous one on which to put a budget. We know where that got us before. It got us into a huge lot of trouble. It is not very set or fixed revenue. Farmers cannot get an extra €12,000 or €15,000; the solicitors had not completed the transaction. Will the Minister indicate if there will be any grace period for those caught in the transition, those who were in the process of buying somewhere but had not signed the contract? I welcome the consanguinity rule and the situation regarding consolidation of holdings and the changes on age. I am not a nay-sayer. I want to make that point to Deputy Doherty because if his current leader gets his way we will not even be able to get a cup of tea in this bar.

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