Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the opportunity to contribute to this debate. I thank Deputy Clare Daly for her sympathy but we are okay and Fianna Fáil can stand on its own two feet. We are the only two Deputies in this House to have continuously raised this issue in the last two and a half years. While we may now differ on a number of points, until today I would have said we have worked constructively together to try to improve this Bill and make a difference. I acknowledge there are genuine fears and concerns among the local community out there.

I did not come in at the 11th hour and submit amendments without having a clue what was going on with this Bill. I refer to Deputies making political points and, quite frankly, exploiting the genuine fears and concerns of people living in that locality. I will not take lectures from some Members here. I give Deputy Clare Daly a free pass this evening because we have worked so well together on this issue and this Bill for the last two and a half years. We need to bring certainty and clarity to the situation. This limbo land we have been in is not good for the airport or the residents. Deputy Brendan Ryan's party was in government for two years. These regulations were in place during that time and the Labour Party could have done absolutely anything it wished in the two years it was in government.

The Labour Party was the second party in that Government and also provided the Tánaiste. It could have done whatever it wanted in those two years. Had the Labour Party addressed this issue, we would not be here now and we would not have wasted two years on this issue with the current Minister regarding working with the DAA. This point is well made and I do not have to make it again. The residents watching this will realise that someone can come in here and try to exploit genuine fears for political gain. The Labour Party had an opportunity previously but did not use it. While we are trying to improve this Bill, and have done so, Deputy Brendan Ryan is trying to talk down to us in a condescending tone. It certainly does not work with me.

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