Danny Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent) | Oireachtas source

Some farmers in the Golden Vale and places like that will survive. The places I am talking about have poorer soils. Many smaller farmers are going to be wiped out. What they cannot understand is - and we are all under the one sky - how the Chinese can increase their dairy herd by 1 million cows this year alone and how countries in South America can also increase the size of their herds and can cut down the Amazon forest. How is it that all that is happening under the same sky? The Chinese can increase the size of their herd and everything is grand once our dreamer of a Minister, Deputy Ryan, is happy. Our carbon footprint will be down and that of the Chinese will be up. That will be fine.

The fishing industry is almost gone - it has been nearly wiped out - because of inaction. Agriculture is next.

When farmers have to cut back so much, their business is no longer viable and they cannot stay on the land. It is a struggle at present. What has been done to farmers' sons and daughters in recent days? The category of licence for driving a tractor has been changed. They say you must have an articulated lorry licence to drive a tractor or do certain types of work. Will these lads be able to do the driving test on a tractor and get an articulated lorry licence for it? If the authorities are demanding they must have articulated lorry licences in order to drive tractors, will they be allowed to do the test on tractors?

See this speech in context