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

I certainly hope that the Taoiseach would not accuse me of scaremongering on any issue because what I talk is facts; hard, cold facts. The Taoiseach spoke about housing. I want to highlight one of the main things that young farmers want when it comes to housing. All they want is to be given a piece of paper called a planning permission. It is something that can be extremely difficult to get in rural Ireland at present and indeed in the past and perhaps also the future. I would like to see measures being taken to ensure that young people who want to live in the countryside and rear their families in the countryside will be given the opportunity to do so.

On rewetting, I want to highlight what I said already about Brazil. It is going ahead and increasing its output and capacity at a time when the Government is looking to reduce our capacity. It is not long ago that a Minister here spoke about liquid gold, that is, milk. Talk about a see-saw. One minute the Government is encouraging people to produce; then it says: No, pull back. Give the young people the encouragement they need for the future. The Taoiseach mentioned the Minster for Rural and Community Development, Deputy Humphreys. Maybe if some more members of the Cabinet pulled a leaf out of her book we might have a better Government. The Taoiseach should think about that.

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