Mattie McGrath Rebukes Minister Over Haulage and Road Safety
Mattie McGrath challenged the minister on haulage and road safety, defending hauliers and contractors and rejecting a patronising tone. He said he has hands-on experience with lorries, supports road safety, but warned that current measures can encourage dangerous practices and disadvantage contractors.
Summary of remarks
McGrath criticised the minister's attitude and accused the cabinet of being Dublin‑centric. He rejected suggestions that he did not understand the haulage industry and urged the minister to leave the issue alone.
Experience in haulage
McGrath said he has worked around lorries — lowering them, riding as a passenger, repairing them and understanding axles, calibrations and suspensions. He declared his membership of the FCI and his status as a contractor to underline his practical knowledge.
Safety and concerns
He stated he supports road safety and referenced fatalities raised by Deputy Keith. McGrath argued that farmers under pressure are installing larger slurry tanks that contractors cannot access, creating risks, and that properly equipped FCI members maintain brakes, tyres and safety standards.
Criticism of the minister and Dublin‑centric approach
McGrath accused the minister of being patronising and unfamiliar with haulage yards and trucks, citing examples such as driving on the road from Mellow to Midtlestown and being unfamiliar with cattle trucks and muddy conditions. He criticised the minister's handling of the programme for government and described the attitude as out of touch with rural realities.
Support for hauliers and contractors
Throughout the speech McGrath positioned himself with drivers, hauliers and contractors, urging respect for their expertise and condemning policies or enforcement he said unfairly target them. He repeatedly affirmed his backing for the sector and its safety practices.
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Yes, two minutes. Thank you. Goera maith agarad, Cahillad. Minister, I resent your tone, your attitude, your patronising statement that I don't understand the agricultural industry, sorry, the haulage industry. I can tell you, I have worked in it. I have lowered lorries, I've been a passenger on lorries, I've never driven, I've repaired lorries, I understand the axes, the calibrations, I understand the suspensions that are here now. And how dare you? You're probably never in a haul of yard in your life, let alone being in a truck. Take a spin something in the road from Mellow to Midtlestown in a truck and see for yourself, that patronising it. But just goes to sort of Dublin's century to carry on to you. But I am a member of FCI. I am a contractor and I declare that here now. I know plenty about them. And Deputy Keith mentioned the fatalities. Farmers are under pressure and they're getting grants now for bigger slurry tanks and the contractor can't get them. You're encouraging dangerous practices that don't have the practice to run them. The FCI have a high standard, a very high standard and they're continually educating their members and they have proper brakes, proper tyres and everything else and safety. So I will take no lecture from you, which is a Dublin cabal of a Dublin-centric cabinet that knows nothing about Rhode Island. And like Danny Healy, we ask you to leave it alone, leave it alone. And I am in favour of road safety. I have no issue with road safety. I have when they're waiting at the end of a bad stretch of road, with that stretch of road, a lorry entered in perfect condition having been tested. And then he's out of calibration. And it's like shooting fish in a barrel. That's what I resent. Totally. I'm supporting the drivers and the hauliers. And I know plenty about lorries. And I ask you, were you ever in a cattle truck? Were you ever in mud in a hole and you weren't? The man never went to mud in a hole and never toppled at all. You were on the side of the pale. I don't know if you were arrogance when I saw you in the programme for government. You fired down the programme for government, 300 pages, read it in an hour. But you're getting away with it. But I waved in the long grass for you. The contractors. The farmers. The farmers who had fatalities. And the many other people. Padra, how dare you suggest. I know plenty about road haulage. And I support them. They know that I do. And they know that you know, sweet. I could say a word, but I won't say that. Here, look. I could say it. I wasn't going to say an F word. But I could say it. Because it applies to most things about ministers. Murphy, T. Shook, Minister Harris. You know nothing about Rhode Island. You care less about it. And you're patronising attitude to tell me that I wasn't in favour of road safety. And you're acting about the road safety of the Hawley Association. How dare you? How dare you?
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