Ulick Burke (Fine Gael)

I thank Senator Bannon for sharing his time. I have listened to the Minister and he has taken responsibility for health, the environment and agriculture and has pontificated on all those areas. I want him to stop and think that he, as Minister, presides over a group of local authorities which has contributed more in one day than the farming community has done in ten years. Many of the Minister's colleagues have told this House that the farming community has been the greatest protector of the environment. The draconian measures introduced by the Minister will mean that people will be jailed for failing to keep receipts. If the Minister's party colleagues were jailed for non-availability of receipts for other activities our jails would be full.