Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I have to concur with every sentiment and syllable Deputy Healy-Rae said. I am tired and weary of listening to Deputies in this House from the left, like Deputy Bríd Smith and Deputy Cairns, talking as if we were Neanderthals or backward people. We understand the land. We know about land. We do not bring in lurchers when we talk about greyhounds and we do not do stupid things like that. We know what we are talking about, thankfully. We do not profess to know everything about everything but we know about this. It is our duty as rural representatives to represent the people of Ireland when they have been abandoned by Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael and are being attacked by the Greens and all the NGOs and activists who are besmirching those good people who drained the land, made a proud living off the land, reared their families off the land and educated their families. Sadly, some of these people are now up here as part of the second generation and they do not like the land at all now. They get cosmopolitan when they come up here, like the people in RTÉ. They might not even understand some of our language at all any more. That is B.U. The Minister of State knows what that is. I will not say it here in this Chamber.

We need understanding. We need appreciation and we need a carrot, not the stick of the media and everywhere saying the farmers are filthy all the time. Deputy Smith said we do not represent the farmers and that there is unfairness. Of course there is. We are like a bad record challenging the moguls in the meat industry and all the unfairness that is there. There is enough land in bogs and forestry. There is a lot of sequestration going on at the moment that is not even being measured.

Walking around any of the buildings here, the heat in the winter is obscene. The Government should deal with what is happening at home and not have closed eyes as regards what is happening. See no harm, hear no harm, speak no harm. The pollution is happening here. The Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan, has stopped all major road projects. Any lorry driver will tell you he uses less fuel and produces fewer emissions on the motorway but the Minister is clandestine when looking at this, ably supported by Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and some of the regional Independents. I compliment the movers of this motion, the Independent Group. Well done.

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