Gerard Craughwell (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I am concerned about us embarking on what will be the next bubble that will bring Ireland to its knees. I am delighted that milk quotas have been abolished. I am a city boy and, for me, milk comes in a bottle or a carton. I know very little about the production process. However, I know that when an industry starts to expand as a result of the lifting of regulations, such expansion needs to be carefully managed. If it not, we will finish up with massive herds of up to 1,000 cows and someone somewhere in the world will sneeze and decide that this was caused by increased milk production and suddenly we will see the milk bubble that we are creating collapse. I am deeply concerned about that.

I agree with Senator Barrett on the sale of Aer Lingus. Its sale has been an issue in this House for several months now. Aer Lingus simply cannot be sold. It is a part of everything that is Irish.

I also agree with Senator Barrett with regard to Irish Water, and what a mess we made of that. It is still a mess and that mess will roll on for God knows how long more. The Government is now going to take the cost of the water charges out of our pay packets. I wish it well with that because the moment one utility can take money out my or anyone else's pocket, the ESB, Eircom and the other utilities will say that if the Government can do that for Irish Water, it can do it for them. I will fight tooth and nail to stop the Government doing that if it tries to move in that direction.

It is crazy that we are offering free medical cards to the under sixes. As I move rapidly into my mid-60s, I have found that my health has not been the best for the past ten or 15 years. I hope the stent I have in does not cave in and I need another one because I do not have a medical card and health insurance is becoming too expensive.