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

My time is not up. What I want to get across is this. I am standing here pleading with the Minister at this late hour to for God's sake do something to help these people to be able to make their livelihoods.

I was very glad that the Minister visited to my county recently. On a personal basis, he is a very nice gentleman, but how in the name of God did he or anyone in his Department think this was a good idea? My office is located in Agriculture House and I was delighted to see him come in as Minister. I was one of the first people to say that I wanted our new Minister to come to County Kerry. Since when did the Government bring in what I would call an extremely discourteous thing whereby the itinerary of a Minister, when he is coming into a county where other people are there to represent, is like a big secret. The Minister did the exact same thing and I did not realise that until I heard Deputy Michael Collins talking about it. The Minister might think it means nothing but, on a personal basis, it is hurtful. There have been Healy-Raes in County Kerry for a long time, and when a Minister ever came to Kerry, that Minister would always tell us what he or she was doing and were he or she was going. I know every one of the people the Minister met. I was talking to every one of them. Again, I apologise; I did not get to meet the Minister because I had scheduled clinics but, then again, how could I know what he was doing when he or his office did not tell me exactly what he was doing? It is only a matter of courtesy. Is it that the Minister does not want to meet other public representatives if he is doing a roadshow? On a personal basis, and just so the Minister realises, it is a hurtful thing to do. I thought that in politics-----

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