Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent) | Oireachtas source

European farmers are expressing their anger and outrage at the way farming has been treated across Europe. Thankfully, our Irish farmers are taking to the streets this evening at 6 p.m. in Cahir in my area with regard to the blackguarding they are getting with regulation and bureaucracy and the demonising in this House and elsewhere of good farming practices. If we have no farmers there will be no food. This is the reality we will have. They are being blackguarded. The Department of agriculture is disgracefully treating farmers. There are 28,000 farmers waiting on ACRES payments. They were supposed to be paid last year. These farmers have good records with paying their suppliers. They cannot pay them if they are waiting for these grant payments. It is shocking. It is time the Government sat up and got rid of the green tail and looked after our farmers. Respect the people who provide the food for us. Respect the farm families and support our farmers. Do not be trying to extinguish them completely. We will have nothing only starvation in this country.

See this speech in context