Danny Healy-Rae Defends Farmers, Criticises Climate Measures
Danny Healy-Rae spoke defending farmers and rejecting claims they intentionally damage biodiversity. He argued that proposed climate measures and a bill are unfair to farmers and criticised aspects of energy and urban carbon policy.
Rebuttal of criticism
He challenged remarks from another deputy, saying he did not know "a single farmer who gets up in the morning or goes out there day to day business trying to damage the biodiversity," accused opponents of misquoting him and said he would withdraw his remark if proved wrong.
Defence of farming practices
He listed recent changes by farmers — spreading and storing slurry, complying with the nitrates directive and using less fertiliser — and said these adaptations have been made at great cost. He complained farmers were previously told to increase herd sizes by a minister seven or eight years ago and are now being asked to cut herds by around 50%.
Concerns about carbon accounting and the bill
He said the bill gives farmers no adequate way to measure what carbon they are sequestering and criticised the timeline, saying sequestration will take seven years while pressure is applied immediately. He described the overall approach in the bill as unfair to rural communities.
Energy policy and climate causes
He questioned some climate explanations, arguing natural factors such as the sun affect climate, and warned that data centres will consume a large share of electricity by 2027–28. He criticised the closure of Borna Mona, noted timber being moved to keep power plants running, and said wind energy is unreliable because "we can't store the wind" when it is plentiful.
Urban emissions and public transport
He contrasted rural areas with Dublin, saying urban emissions are significant and criticising carbon-tax-funded buses in Dublin that run largely empty. He suggested pedestrianising parts of the city and stressed that rural areas lack comparable public transport while still needing lorries to move goods.
We publish thousands of recordings to make Irish politics transparent and resistant to manipulation. Spotted an error? Report it — together we are building a reliable archive of Irish politics.
Thank you very much, last call caller. I am glad to get the opportunity to talk on this and to rebut some of the things that have been said here by Deputy Cairns. It was very unfair of you to say that any farmer, that you didn't know any farmer, that was doing his best not to do harm to the land that he was working on, because that is totally and absolutely untrue. Sorry Deputy, that is not what you said. I didn't interrupt you. I know you didn't, but I didn't misquote you. I didn't interrupt you. Sorry Deputy, I said I don't know a single farmer who gets up in the morning or goes out there day to day business trying to damage the biodiversity. You are running down my time now. Deputy Danny Healy Ray, the time is running, please, you have seven minutes. You misquoted me completely. Deputy Cairns. I have what you said. You are wrong the whole lot of farmers. It is completely the opposite of what I said. Whatever Deputy Healy Ray heard, he heard. She certainly did say it. It is not what you said. I said the complete opposite of that, Danny. Literally. I am glad to get the opportunity to speak. The time is running, and in fairness, it is not what the Deputy said, but I will leave it up to yourself whether you are going to withdraw it or not. I am going to withdraw it or not. Danny, you have to withdraw that. Deputy Danny Healy Ray, the clock. I am going down to Mary Hall across and do something about the road, and the road over to Kildarey. If you want to take me in my absence here before another day. Acknowledge the fact that I am going to drive me up in the ditches. Deputy Danny Healy Ray, and be a gentleman about it. You misquoted her. Deputy Sherlock, you are out of order. Deputy Sherlock, you are out of order. You are out of order, please. Deputy Sherlock, you are out of order. Deputy Sherlock, you are out of order. We are out of order. Deputy Danny Healy Ray, you have five minutes. And just to be fair to the previous... Eamonn Royne. Minister Eamonn Royne. Please, just one minute. Deputy Cairns did not say that. I listened carefully. Well, if you are saying that she did not say it, I will take your word on it, and I will take it back. Thank you. I will take your word for it, not Deputy Sherlock's. You attacked me when I was not inside here. And do something about the road from Ballyhoricross into Kildarey, where the Lawrence can't pass it. Deputy Sherlock, please. Deputy Sherlock, please. Deputy Sherlock, please. And be a gentleman about it. Thank you. Thank you. I said, if the last couple of quarters said I was wrong, I am wrong, and I am sorry. Thank you. Continue, Deputy. Minister Eamonn Royne does not have a monopoly on the environment, and I want to tell you that. Farmers have adapted an awful lot of new, valuable methods, whether it was spreading slurry, whether it was storing slurry, whether it was spreading under the nitrates directive, spreading less fertiliser. And they have been doing their best at a great cost. At a great cost. And they were told to increase their herds by Minister Kovny seven or eight years ago, and now we have been told that they will have to reduce their herds by 50, by 51 percent. That is not fair, or that is not right. And you see, you have to remember, and I tell it to you, that the climate change can occur for many reasons. And one of the reasons is the sun does come closer to the earth at different times when they rotate, and that has happened several times, and that would create an increase in the climate. And the data centers we are told now will use 30 percent of our electricity by 20, 27, 28, that kind of time. And in recent weeks, our country, because there was no just transition when he closed down Borna Mona, and I couldn't see how anyone could be proud of that, and supported by the government, the other government parties, Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, to think that they allowed Borna Mona to be closed down. And at the present time, Minister, in case you do not know it, there is timber being drawn from South Kerry up to Roscommon to keep some power plants going there, because they cannot get tough now. And if they did not keep that power plant going, certainly we would be without electricity in some parts of the country, or many parts of it. So, the wind, I support alternative energy, many people do, but the wind is not reliable, and cannot, we cannot ensure continuity of power from the wind when the wind does not blow. We can't store, we can't store the wind when we have too much of it. So, we have to be, we have to be fair, and Minister, this bill is not being fair. He is giving farmers no chance to measure what carbon they are sequestering. He is saying it will take seven years. At the same time, you are putting this pressure on them, and it is very, very, very unfair. And when you look around this town, it is all rural Ireland, since rural Ireland is doing the harm. And there is no word about urban Dublin. And when I look around here today, you are proud of the fact that we are getting carbon tax to put new buses on the road. And where are they? In Sidon Dublin. Because if you look around, look out the dark gate any day now, and I was there for a few minutes the other day, several, several big double-decker buses, one and two people inside them. They are passing each other up, they are passing each other down, they are three or four behind each other. Why don't you suggest pedestrianising Dublin and take some of the pressure out of there? This is where, if we are talking about carbon, this is where the carbon is. It is not in the top of Mull's Gap. It is not in Ballen Skelly. It is not in the pocket in Glenmore. It is not below in the Black Valley. There is no fumes there, I can tell you. But they are here. And, I mean, you have the public transport in Dublin. We don't have it down below. And people can move around with cars, without cars, or without vehicles. And we need lorries to bring our products into our county from places like Dublin. And we do need transport, but you'll charge us carbon tax, and at the same time, most of the carbon has been created here in Dublin. And you don't mind that, because that's your constituency. I have to move on. And you don't give one damn about rural Ireland or rural Terry or any other way. People come from all over the world to see the greenery in Terry. And we are more greenery in Terry than any part of this Dublin city. And people come there to see the way it is well kept. But we are not getting credit for that. Deputy Michael Collins. Deputy Michael Collins. Deputy Michael Collins. Deputy Michael Collins. Deputy Michael Collins. Deputy Michael Collins. Deputy Michael Collins. Deputy Michael Collins. Deputy Michael Collins. Deputy Michael Collins. Deputy Michael Collins. Deputy Michael Collins. Deputy Michael Collins. Deputy Michael Collins. Deputy Michael Collins. Deputy Michael Collins. Deputy Michael Collins. Deputy Michael Collins. Deputy Michael Collins. Deputy Michael Collins. Deputy Michael Collins. Deputy Michael Collins. Deputy Michael Collins. Deputy Michael Collins. Deputy Michael Collins. Deputy Michael Collins. Deputy Michael Collins. Deputy Michael Collins. Deputy Michael Collins.
Thank you for downloading 🙏
If you publish this material on social media, we would be very grateful if you tagged VideoParliament. It helps us reach more people and keep building a transparent archive of Irish politics.
