Results 19,981-20,000 of 28,255 for speaker:Éamon Ó Cuív

Reform of the Common Agricultural Policy: Motion (Resumed) (15 Sep 2011)

Éamon Ó Cuív: I know that and we have to keep fighting.

Reform of the Common Agricultural Policy: Motion (Resumed) (15 Sep 2011)

Éamon Ó Cuív: When the Government side was in opposition they complained about everything we did. Now that they are in government, however, they are saying "You were right all the time". That is how it is - we kept fighting for those things. If we lost we came back and fought again. The Government's attitude, however, is that it is doing a great job and will not change anything. I am very disappointed...

Reform of the Common Agricultural Policy: Motion (Resumed) (15 Sep 2011)

Éamon Ó Cuív: The Minister is absolutely right, because what he is doing is nonsense.

Reform of the Common Agricultural Policy: Motion (Resumed) (15 Sep 2011)

Éamon Ó Cuív: I do know what the Minister is doing.

Reform of the Common Agricultural Policy: Motion (Resumed) (15 Sep 2011)

Éamon Ó Cuív: I did not interrupt the Minister.

Reform of the Common Agricultural Policy: Motion (Resumed) (15 Sep 2011)

Éamon Ó Cuív: When we were in government the Opposition was fully supportive of more and more spending. I never heard the then Opposition asking us to spend less on education, social welfare and health. In fact, they were roaring at us to do more of what we did. Now, however, they are pretending that the Oireachtas never knew that we were spending all this money, and never called for even more expenditure.

Reform of the Common Agricultural Policy: Motion (Resumed) (15 Sep 2011)

Éamon Ó Cuív: I looked at the Minister's speech with amazement and dismay yesterday. As regards the flat rate or direct payments, one cannot tie oneself to a historical chance on a certain year, which was 2002. We should have an open and frank debate on this single payment method as to whether we link it to the present system, which is purely historical and as time goes on becomes more distorted, or...

Reform of the Common Agricultural Policy: Motion (Resumed) (15 Sep 2011)

Éamon Ó Cuív: Not in an SAC or in an SPA. That shows how much the Minister is out of touch. A farmer would not get permission-----

Reform of the Common Agricultural Policy: Motion (Resumed) (15 Sep 2011)

Éamon Ó Cuív: I thought a contribution should be without interruption. The Minister says capping is not a major issue for Ireland but I remember all of those opposite giving out about a few senior people in this country getting a lot of money. It was not a lot of money but those opposite said it was an example, that it set down a marker to the type of society we wanted. I cannot understand why the...

Reform of the Common Agricultural Policy: Motion (Resumed) (15 Sep 2011)

Éamon Ó Cuív: We had a more equitable society then and if we had not produced our own food during the war, we would have starved.

Reform of the Common Agricultural Policy: Motion (Resumed) (15 Sep 2011)

Éamon Ó Cuív: We did not. Unlike one of the stalwart members of one of the Deputy's party, by keeping out of the war we saved a lot of our people. I note again the payments for areas of natural constraint. The Minister's document is saying, "Don't do anything extra for small farmers, don't do anything for people who have environmental restrictions, don't do anything for people who are in an area of...

Reform of the Common Agricultural Policy: Motion (Resumed) (15 Sep 2011)

Éamon Ó Cuív: I advise the Minister to check the record of the House.

Reform of the Common Agricultural Policy: Motion (Resumed) (15 Sep 2011)

Éamon Ó Cuív: When I was the Minister with responsibility for the environment -----

Reform of the Common Agricultural Policy: Motion (Resumed) (15 Sep 2011)

Éamon Ó Cuív: I see that members of the IFA are in the Gallery and they will give the Minister the facts and figures. There was never more money paid in environmental payments to farmers during any period of government than during the period of the Fianna Fáil-led Government. With the downturn in the economy we had to constrain those payments. We had a proposal which the Minister has pulled back. This...

Reform of the Common Agricultural Policy: Motion (Resumed) (15 Sep 2011)

Éamon Ó Cuív: I appeal to the Ceann Comhairle as I thought this debate should be without interruption.

Reform of the Common Agricultural Policy: Motion (Resumed) (15 Sep 2011)

Éamon Ó Cuív: I am not inviting comment.

Reform of the Common Agricultural Policy: Motion (Resumed) (15 Sep 2011)

Éamon Ó Cuív: It is very difficult to keep talking.

Reform of the Common Agricultural Policy: Motion (Resumed) (15 Sep 2011)

Éamon Ó Cuív: The Government has laid out its stall and this will be to protect the big farmers over the small farmers, the farmers in the good land over the farmers in the bad land. The small farmers in the good land areas will be discriminated against in favour of the big farmers in the good land areas. The farmers on the good land will get more money than the farmers on the bad land, in other words, a...

Reform of the Common Agricultural Policy: Motion (Resumed) (15 Sep 2011)

Éamon Ó Cuív: All the proposals coming forward are as a result of our work and not the Minister's work. All the proposals coming from Europe to help small and marginalised farmers -----

Reform of the Common Agricultural Policy: Motion (Resumed) (15 Sep 2011)

Éamon Ó Cuív: -----represent our philosophy. The Minister is saying he wants to get out of all these. It is very clear where he is going and what he wants to do. I assure both Ministers on the other side that we will continue to fight on behalf of those who need this public money most and not on behalf of the fat cats who could do well without it.