David Norris (Independent) | Oireachtas source

It is, and I have just spent three and a half hours at the dentist so I am a little all over the place.

I wish to express my absolute outrage at the evictions in Roscommon. It is disgusting that an elderly trio of siblings were kicked out of their home in the run-up to Christmas. The vulture funds should be run out of this country without any excuse. We should get rid of them. What is the Government doing to protect Irish people in their homes? I have to laugh at Sinn Féin bleating about this. If Sinn Féin had supported my Bill, this kind of thing would have been obviated, but however. That is politics, I suppose.

I wish to ask about the involvement of the police. The unfortunate members of An Garda Síochána were stuck in the middle of this thing. It is appalling when people are brought in from a foreign country to throw Irish people out of their homes. I wonder if the Taoiseach is aware that "eviction" is a dirty word in Ireland. I have no time whatever for the leaders of 1916, but they would be turning in their graves at the idea that eviction is commonplace in this alleged Republic. I feel very strongly about this.

I agree with Senator Boyhan's comments about vegetable farmers. It is appalling to think they are asked to accept 20 cent per kilo for carrots and potatoes. How on earth can they possibly make a living? They cannot. The number of vegetable farmers in Dublin - and throughout the country, I think - has halved in the past five years. It is a real crisis, and once again it is the multinational supermarkets that are doing this. They ought to be called to account.