Victor Boyhan urges JFK flag display and rural housing debate
Victor Boyhan urged that the JF Kennedy battle flag be rehung in the parliamentary house and asked for a report on its display. He also requested a debate on rural housing and called on the Minister for Housing to set out plans to remove obstacles for families and young farmers.
JF Kennedy battle flag
The speaker recalled that JF Kennedy presented the battle flag in 1963 and described it as one of the house's most significant symbols. He asked for a report to be prepared, referenced a commission in existence, and said he wanted the flag rehung and available for visitors by the summer or at least by Easter.
Request for debate on rural housing
Victor Boyhan asked the Leader for a parliamentary debate on rural housing and thanked the Leader's Office for arranging a debate with the Minister for Agriculture on CAP. He argued that without young farmers and families living in rural communities on land they or their families own, small farm enterprises cannot be sustained.
Planning guidelines and political context
He noted that successive governments have promised draft planning guidelines and recalled that at one point it was suggested the Greens were an impediment to progress. He said there is now a new government and a new administration and pressed for clarity on how to remove obstacles to rural housing.
Agriculture, CAP and rural sustainability
The speaker linked the rural housing issue to agricultural policy, referencing the Minister for Agriculture and the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). He framed rural housing as integral to developing rural communities and supporting sustainable agriculture under CAP, stressing the need for young farmers to live on and work the land.
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Thank you. Firstly, I want to join with others to commend you for your round of engagements in the U.S. As always, you do us very proud there. You're fiercely committed to it and that special relationship within the United States of America. And that sort of prompted me as it was coming up the stairs where we now have a collection of photographs. But it prompted me again to look at the JF Kennedy battle flag that was on display for many years at the bottom of our stairs. The thing that's most sought after, one of our prized, that and the proclamation are perhaps for me the most significant two symbols within this house. And I'd like to see a report done and I'd like the leader and liaison with you, Kirk Herlock. But of course, JF Kennedy came in 1963 and presented that flag and it's well documented and it should be hung. I just want to leave that with you. I want to report on that and there would be other channels but there isn't at the moment. The commission is in existence and I don't want to leave goat out this year, the summer or at least to Easter and not know what is happening. And when the next American or anyone else comes to this house, I want to bring them to that flag. I just want to finish up and ask the leader if we could have a debate on rural housing. And I want to thank you and the Leader's Office for organising debate with the Minister for Agriculture on CAP, the Common Agricultural Policy today. But you can talk about all the common agricultural policies you like. But if we do not have young farmers and families living in rural communities, in houses, on land that they own or their families own, we will not sustain and support small farm enterprises across this country. And we have had successive governments promise us draft planning guidelines. And at one point it was suggested the Greens were an impediment to progress here. We now have a new government, a new administration, and I think it's important that we have the Minister for Housing to come into this house and tell us what are the plans. How can we take away the obstacles? Ewan Kildare, Leader, people in Galway, Kerry, wherever it may be. People want to live on the land, the land of their heritage and their forebearers. And I think it's important, particularly in the context of developing rural communities and agricultural and sustainable agriculture under the CAP. Thank you.
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