Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent) | Oireachtas source

Beidh mé cúramach. Gabh mo leithscéal, as I said. It is fake news, whatever way one wants to dress it up, and I should not invoke the Lord.

We talk about CAR. It has the expertise, we hope. I heard Deputy Troy say that An Bord Pleanála was fair. What was it expected to be if not fair? It is meant to be independent and honest in adjudicating on planning matters. I am surprised to hear him say it was fair. Does he want us to send it a medal to thank it? The people out in that area, the same as anywhere else in the country, are entitled to have their organisations. They are entitled to a night's sleep if they want a night's sleep, and there are conditions about the times of flights. That might inconvenience us if we are flying back from, say, the country where the Minister and the Minister of State, Deputy Halligan, were going to go one time to meet Kim Jong-un or wherever. At the time I said I hoped they would stay there. People may not be able to fly in at the time they want, but whatever.

The Minister will not consult and he will not listen, and there is none so blind as those who do not want to see. This is on his doorstep. He lives only 12 miles out the road. He should be able to get in here, get involved with all the stakeholders and try to progress and develop the airport but not bulldoze people also. He has advice from two Attorneys General, a former and the current one, and he will not publish that advice. He railed against that for decades. He asked if we could not get a second opinion and challenge the Attorney General's advice. He now has advice from two eminent Attorneys General and he is hiding behind it. There was no hiding place for anyone when the Minister had the pen. I was in his office on different days and he was writing. He cancelled everything to write that column. It had to be written. My God, he was powerful with that pen. There is nothing as poisonous as a pen. Words will not matter but the pen was mightier than the sword, and boy did the Minister use it, but it has all come back to haunt him.

This Minister, Deputy Ross, is the most inept Minister ever, although the Minister, Deputy Harris, is vying with him for a place. I do not know which of them will win the prize. His portfolio in terms of transport and tourism affected the entire country. The bus strike was on and he did not know anything about it. The Luas was too big to cross O'Connell Bridge but he did not know anything about it. He was imithe - as láthair. He was not at the wheel.

I support Deputy Clare Daly on many of her amendments. She is from the constituency. She knows far more about that area than I would ever learn, but I know also that the Minister is not interested. He got the finest Department but he is not interested in it. He is interested in saving his soul, opening Stepaside Garda station and throwing crumbs to the people out there, but they have copped on to him too. They are smart people. When The Irish Timesstarts ridiculing the Minister, he is in trouble out there. He was always envious of my coverage in The Irish Times. We sell only 40 copies in Tipperary but they sell plenty of them in south Dublin where the Minister is from and the people have copped on to him. He is a failure and a fraud.

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