Danny Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I am glad to get the opportunity to talk on this motion. It is not fair especially to smaller parties and Independents. It is a blatant attempt by the Government's party to boost its chances of retaining power and increasing power at the next election. The spin in the 2040 document and the announcement in Sligo at which the Government had all its candidates from the neighbouring constituencies out front was a blatant attempt to drive other small parties and Independents into the ground. Shame on the Government for trying that stunt. In the long term, it will hurt the Government. Perhaps it is too blind to see that at present. I will remind the Minister what was written in that 2040 plan, which there was so much talk about, in very small writing. It said planning in rural areas will be allowed if it does not distract from larger towns and cities. That is what the Government proposes to do in the plan. It needs to be highlighted for the people out there in rural places who always built and paid for their own houses. That is in the 2040 plan. There is a lot of talk and spin here about reports and strategies to build houses for people. These people wanted nothing but planning to be allowed to build the houses for themselves. They will not be allowed to do that. Before the Government gets away with it, there will be many other battles here, there and everywhere because it is people's democratic right to build a house for themselves. The €5 million for the spin machine would help to provide more beds for people in places like Kerry General Hospital where there are 30 or 40 people on trolleys every day even at this time of year. They are the things we need to address. The 2040 plan left a whole lot of rural Ireland out, including rural parts of Kerry. There was no mention of any town or village in it. I am very sorry but the truth is the truth and that is what I have to tell the Government.

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