Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I did, in fact, refer to the amendment when I stood up. I referred to the then Minister, Deputy Bruton, having the foresight to introduce the regulations in 2016 and asked why they had been watered down by the then Minister of State, Deputy Troy. At whose behest? Who has their hands on the handlebars of power in this country? It is certainly not na hAirí or the Government, because we have allowed ourselves to become - I will not use the word I was going to use - puppets for big business. How come they could do it in Spain, yet we cannot? When we had a robust system, the Government watered it down.

The Minister tells us about an office being set up and everything else. Plenty of offices have been set up, with brass plates, expensive furniture and costly quangos and boards, but they are toothless, useless and fruitless. We have to serve the people we are elected to serve and look after our primary industry. That was the way it used to be in this country anyway until the Government began undermining, blackguarding and downright discriminating against farmers.

The Minister of State, Deputy Heydon, is a farmer and I think the Minister is too. I do not know what it is going on, but in this House, in all the assemblies and even in Teagasc, our own are being terrorised. They are attacking, cannibalising and turning on our own people. Teagasc told farmers a couple of years ago to get more cows and now it is demonising them, bringing out reports and getting the EPA to compile reports. The EPA should be out policing villages and examining the raw sewage in the Leas-Cheann Comhairle's constituency, my constituency and everyone else's constituency that is being pumped into rivers and streams, not trying to frighten farmers, demonising them and telling them they are not clean and are causing environmental hassle. They have become scapegoats and the parties in government have allowed them to become scapegoats, forever kicking them up and down the road. Farmers have always supported and fed us but they will not be able to feed us if they are not there.

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