Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I move amendment No. 2:

In page 5, line 10, after "promote" to insert "social, economic and".

I want to say how disappointed we are, as I said earlier, that we did not get proper time to debate this Bill fully, or any of our amendments or others. We have more than 90 amendments and there are more than 220 altogether. Is mór an trua é sin.

As I say, we want to bring the people with us. The Minister is conciliatory in his tone tonight but, in reality, he is not doing that. The Minister is not making any effort to placate the people who are concerned, the people who are worried and the people who are fearful. They need to get some modicum of reassurance that we want to bring those people with us. We want to care for them.

In his reply to the Members, the Minister wanted more time than the two minutes and the Ceann Comhairle gave him a bit of latitude. The Minister referred to some of our points certainly, but I honestly believe he does not understand the concerns. The Minister is very passionate about the green agenda, and that is not a bad thing.

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