Michael Fitzmaurice (Roscommon-Galway, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Ceann Comhairle for giving us this time. Cattle do not go from 200 kg to 400 kg overnight. There is some reason for this. The cattle were pining away and then after a certain length of time they started thriving because a place was closed, to put it simply. You do not have to be a scientist or a vet to know that; it is weights on scales that will tell, and it is obvious when a beast is pining. I appeal to the Minister; for that man, his mental health, his family and what he has gone through. I looked at him in the committee that day. As Deputy Carthy said, we get so many people in but your heart would go out to the man. It is no skin off my nose in County Galway but my God he is a farmer in Ireland who deserves justice.

The last thing I ask the Minister is to get three independent people in from outside the country. The Department should not be allowed to pick them. I ask the Minister to pick them from somewhere and let them do an overview of what has gone on.

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