Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

However, the Deputy's comments are very unfair in relation to the bona fides of everyone who is working in the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, from here in Kildare Street right throughout the country. Their job day in, day out is to work on behalf of the agriculture sector and farmers in particular. We have one of the best records in this country of serving farmers, of delivering payments and of working to make sure that service is the best in Europe. That is what our Department does. That is what our officials do. The team that has been involved in this has put in massive hours and work to bring forward this legislation. Out of the approximately 3,000 employees in the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, I would imagine a minuscule number, maybe one or two, may go and work somewhere else. That is anyone's right. It is Deputy McNamara's right as a Deputy and he may have an alternative career whenever he might leave here, as may any of us. It is unfair to use that as what I regard as a slur on all those who are working at the moment with the objective of serving farmers. I do not think that was particularly fair.

I do not agree that this is a historic disappointment. It is certainly not. Deputy McNamara can say that. We can say whatever we want in this Chamber, but saying it does not make it so, Deputy. We have put massive work into this right throughout the process. Many other Deputies have been involved from the very outset from pre-legislative scrutiny, across this Bill and to where we have it here today. It is easy at the end to come up with amendments for the first time at the very end and to say that the Bill does not do something, to call it toothless, etc. However, that is not the case. This is very effective legislation. Not only that, the legislation gives the capacity to the Minister, through regulation, to ensure that any additional regulation, requirement or instruction that will be required will be possible through the legislation. My objective from the outset, from back when I was in the Opposition benches, where Deputy McNamara now sits, was to bring in a regulator that would actually-----

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