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

I wish the Taoiseach the best of luck. I say to the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs that I listened to Mr. John Deasy the other day, and, my God, we have some work to do in America to build relations. I heard that our diplomats shunned the Americans on the side that is in now. We have some work to do. I wish the Tánaiste the best in that regard.

On housing, it was sickening to see the report two weeks ago that 60,000 houses have been started. A child would know that was because there was a rebate. Today, we see that we have fallen back by 7% in terms of housing. More people came into this country than we have houses to accommodate. Those are facts. That is also the case in respect of the people we have here.

I wish the new Minister for agriculture well. There is one thing he needs to work on straight away. In the agri-climate rural environment scheme, ACRES, there is a major problem in Wexford. Farmers have been waiting for two years. They have had inspections but on the IT systems, it is the same BS we hear every day.

I wish my colleagues from the west, Deputies Calleary, Canney, Naughton and Grealish, the best of luck. I ask the Minister for agriculture to think of a retirement scheme. For farmers with suckler cows, we see this evening that there are going to be layoffs in a factory. I ask the Minister to address that straight away. We have lost the suckler herd over the past five years.

We intend to work constructively with the Government but it will be about producing the goods and not being like "The Late Late Show" and offering one for everyone in the audience.

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