Danny Healy-Rae Demands Clarity on £477m, Hits at Land Designations
Danny Healy-Rae spoke about a cited £477 million figure, rural fraud and land designations, seeking clarity and urging protections for farmers. He expressed concern about fraud, recounted personal thefts of animals and warned that environmental designations and limits on turf cutting could reduce property value and increase fuel poverty.
Call for clarity on £477 million
He asked for more clarity on the £477 million figure and how much of that applies to Ireland. He said he sincerely hoped farmers would have benefited from any funds like this and that they would not be denied money as a result of fraud.
Rural crime and stolen animals
He recounted recent thefts, mentioning a man who lost a very valuable dog and his own family’s experience when a pony and a pig were stolen. He thanked those involved in the recovery, naming Detective Sullivan from Castle Down Bear for playing a "massive role" in finding the pony.
Fear among the elderly and households
He described the anxiety older people feel about being robbed or broken into, giving an anecdote about a friend who would hide and watch visitors until he was sure they were not thieves. He emphasised the pressure and concern such crimes place on victims and families.
Land designations and property value
He criticised designations placed on land that, he said, render property less valuable and reduce pride in inherited holdings. He warned that more countryside being "designated ssc" would definitely reduce the value of properties.
Turf cutting and fuel poverty
He argued that restricting turf cutting on bogs would deprive people of a traditional fuel source and risk increasing fuel poverty. He said turf cutting has been practised for generations without harm and urged that people should be allowed to continue the practice.
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I'm glad to get the opportunity to talk on this motion here tonight. I suppose as other members have asked in relation to the £477 million, we need more clarity on this figure or how it has come about or how much of that applies to Ireland. I sincerely hope that farmers are people that would or could have benefited from any funds like this. I hope they haven't been money denied or that money is going to be denied from them as a result of this or any other fraud. Any of us here don't condone or support fraud, so we'd be certainly behind any laws that would prevent the same. I suppose it was mentioned earlier about dogs and pets being stolen and I know one man recently had a very valuable dog and he's fairly assured that he's stolen or he can't find him anywhere and for no reason he disappeared. He disappeared. I suppose I know too well about a pet or we had a pony ourselves, a pig and she was stolen and it gave my father a desperate concern at the time because he used to go up and feed her every day and all of a sudden she was missing. And it took three months or more to find her, but we did find her thankfully and thank all those who were involved in including Detective Sullivan from Castle Down Bear who played a massive role in ensuring that we found the pony. I know the anxiety and the pressure that was on my father and indeed in my younger family members when that pony was stolen and therefore to thank everyone indeed that helped in the return and the recovery of pig who we still have and pride having and see after her in the best way that we can. I suppose all people, what springs to mind is all people being robbed in their homes and so concerned about being robbed or broken into and when people move on in years they're not as courageous when people drive into the yard and they're worried. I know that I know one great friend of mine. I know one great friend of mine. You drive the long road into where his house was and when he'd see the car coming he'd go out the back door of the house and into the old buildings and he'd wait in the yard and peep from some angle till he was sure that it wasn't thieves or brigads or at least it was someone that he knew. he knew knew and had a good reason for coming to visit him i suppose there are other types of what i call and fraud when you when you render a property less value when when them and what i'm talking about is designations where where environmentalists and others reduce seek to reduce the value of property by placing designations on on land that farmers may be bought and paid for or maybe had inherited and at a high cost and uh pride and and their pride on their places uh would uh couldn't be exceeded by by anyone but sadly in some places land has been uh designated for in harry or for different reasons and we hear that that more of the countryside is going to be designated ssc this will definitely reduce the value of of of their properties and also where where more environmentalists want to stop us cutting turf turf is value to the people that own the the the the bog and where they can cut and and and save turf and and and keep themselves warm themselves we hear of others uh suffering fuel poverty what do they want these people to do to suffer fuel poverty as well and the bottom line idling their land and and stop them of cutting like they have done for centuries or for generations and centuries going back without doing any harm to themselves or to anyone else their pride in their property in their land couldn't be exceeded or wouldn't be exceeded by any uh environment thank you deputy
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