William Aird (Laois, Fine Gael)

Before we go on, I would describe it as a drastic move to curb a farmer from selling his or her stock in a mart for up to three years. Does the Minister realise what he is doing to farmers, people like myself who get up every morning and work? There is no guarantee about this. We are talking about something that got worse and worse despite the money that was invested in the scheme. There is no guarantee that taking a draconian step like this would have any effects. This would be a stigma attached to farmers like myself where, at the end of the day, there is no guarantee that anything would change.

I want to know who came up with this idea. What scientific results has that person to prove that something like this will happen? It is like we are saying we will try this and it might work. Something like this would have a devastating effect on Irish farmers.

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