Michael Healy-Rae

I did not go on YouTube last night telling lies.

Well, at least I have a soul.

At least I have a head.

I have a very short amount of time and I would like to use it.

Was there a vote on it last night? The Deputy does not even know what he is talking about.

The Deputy did not see what I am talking about. He does not know what he is saying.

I am factual in what I am saying. What was put up last night was lies.

Can I carry on?

Thank you. With regard to the €2.3 billion we have for agriculture, we have a very important to job to do in agriculture in that TB is posing a grave threat to Ireland at present. I am so glad we have ensured we will have proper funding in place to eradicate TB and to arrest those figures and bring them down. At the same time, we are not in any way endangering or taking money away from other very …

In my own section, forestry is going to have a proper reconstitution scheme, which I am glad we were in a position to announce today. That will ensure a reconstitution scheme for the people who were affected - over 12,000 ha in private ownership - so they can use their land again and grow trees. I am very glad we were able to do that while also taking on the very serious issue of TB eradication. I…

With regard to licensing, the Leas Cheann-Comhairle knows there was an issue, problem and delay before with licensing. I am sure everybody in this House will be delighted to know that since Kerry won the All-Ireland, the Department's office in Wexford has issued 400 licences for thinning and clear felling of trees. We have completely turned around the whole licensing structure. You would nearly wa…

Nobody over there would want to hear that because it is a success story.

I am after instilling confidence into forestry, a thing that not one of the Deputies opposite would probably know anything about. I am very glad that I have that job of work done. There is a confidence in the sector now.

I have ensured that we have planted double the number of trees this year as against last year. Has any one of the Deputies got a problem with that?

I am also very glad with regard to farm safety. Farm safety is very important to all of us and we have an additional 17% of funding which will bring us to €3 million. This Government takes very seriously the issue of farm accidents and farm deaths. I am very glad to be able to support an AgriAware scheme for schools. We have people going out to marts dealing with farmers, not just on their physica…

-----if you were going to be fair and balanced about it, you would have to welcome them.

It is very easy to just shout and roar about negatives-----

-----but at the end of the day, if you are telling the truth and going in a straight line and not like what happened last night, a Leas-Cheann Comhairle-----

A person from over there went on Facebook and told blatant untruths.

That is about all the Deputy would be good for.

Mary Lou is delighted with the reduction in the VAT. She said she would do it a couple of months ago if she had power. She is delighted.

We have to stay quiet now, do we?

The Deputies can shout and roar all they like but when they start speaking we are all supposed to be silent.

Does Deputy Doherty ever shut up, no?

I will tell the Deputies one thing they will not do.