Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank iar-Seanadóir Brian Ó Domhnaill, my daughter Mairéad and iar-Seanadóir John Hanafin for their help in putting the motion together. I make no apologies for the motion we have brought forward today. We will take no criticism from the Minister of State or the absent Minister who was here at the start. Why is it that he has fled like snow off a ditch when questions were being asked, especially by the rural groups, the Regional Group, ourselves and Deputy McNamara who had to return to the health committee? The Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan has to answer. He made one statement - and we will check the record - that a final decision will issue on Barryroe and the application in the coming weeks. We will hold him to that because he has dithered.

The Tánaiste wiped €19 billion off this country's investments one day here about two years ago when he said we were changing our policy at the behest of the Green Party. The problem here is that the Taoiseach in his grovelling attempt to get into power hitched his wagon up to the Green Party. He does not want to unhitch it now but it must be unhitched and the blame for the hames that was made must be put back where it should be - on him. He has made a total hames of it and the Minister of State is one of his junior Ministers now as well. I do not think he has any responsibility in the energy portfolio although they have put him in here. Cá bhfuil na Teachtaí eile? Are they all ploughing? When are they going to stop ploughing?

The Minister of State is telling us patent nonsense. Every kind of situation that comes up with him is a situation of stopping people, persecuting the people. He is talking about the profits and the struggles that we have now on the back of Covid without mentioning the hardship and penury the Government put people through and the fear it put people through and that fear is killing people. We are not climate change deniers in here, not one of us. We understand nature and we are very proud supporters of the flora and fauna along with our farming and rural communities. Indeed we understand that we must change and we will change - no better people to change when we are ready. We should not loosen up the tacking on the horse before we go to the creamery with the milk. If we do, we will have milk spilt on the ground. The Government has milk spilt everywhere and it will have blood spilt. It is driving people to distraction.

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