Mattie McGrath Challenges Department Manuals, Defends Farmers
Mattie McGrath rejected claims that his group's amendments were a copy of the Senate and defended farmers, mills, haulage and timber contractors. He blamed departmental manuals and officials for delays on decisions and demanded a deadline for applications to cut trees.
Amendments and the Senate
McGrath refuted an assertion by Tony Hackett that the group's amendments were copied from the Senate, saying they had not even looked at the Senate amendments because their own amendments had to be submitted by last Friday morning at 10am while the Senate debated them on Friday.
Support from farmers and contractors
He said farmers, the mills, haulage contractors, timber contractors and builders had made their views clear, describing the problem as "plain as a nose on our face" and stressing the need to stand up for those sectors.
Criticism of departmental manuals and arbitration
McGrath criticised the INIP department and manuals in the department of agriculture as being "in charge" and questioned the appointment of a retired Secretary General of the Parliament as an independent arbitrator, asking "who's cutting who here?" in relation to decision-making.
Deadlines in farming and applications
He argued that farming already operates under many deadlines - slurry spreading, ploughing and other rules - and insisted there should likewise be a clear deadline for decisions on applications to cut trees, rejecting arguments against setting one.
Clarification and closing
McGrath thanked colleagues for the opportunity to clarify his position, briefly summarising his points before concluding his remarks.
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Tony Hackett has said on a number of occasions that, much as they implied that they were a copy, that the amendments were a copy from the Senate. I want to refute that on behalf of our group. We didn't even look at the Senate amendments because our amendments had to be submitted by last Friday morning at 10am. The Senate debated them on Friday. So, we have the intelligence enough to put forward our own amendments, and thanks to Deputy, as Debbie Collins referred to, many people, the farmers, the mills, the haulage contractors, and indeed the timber contractors, and as said the builders, have told us, it's plain as a nose on our face. What's the problem is, is the INIP department and the manuals in the department of agriculture are still in charge, and well that wasn't bad enough when we had the situation at the gates of the factories last year, who did Minister Cree the Pint in charge? A retired Secretary General of the Parliament to be an independent arbitrator. Who's cutting who here? And if you don't see the wood from the trees here, pardon the pun, you're going over. The very best, Tosak Mahal and the Hebra, that's Tosak Hulc, Anna Hulc Erfod, and it's a disaster for you. And if you happen to, as people refer to as their OD earlier on, the stigma, and the pride of yourselves as elected representatives, and the privilege of being in government, if you happen to self-respect, to tell these manuals, get back in the box, deal with the work they should be doing, and not be persecuting farmers. There's deadlines for everything in farming, anything you want to do. There's slurry deadlines which are ridiculous, and if we can't have a deadline here for decisions on applications to cut trees, you're craving nobody. There's deadlines for every which thing, slurry spreading, line spreading, plowing, whether you can plow up a hill or down a hill, just fast to get all the deadlines they have, and you're paying fines to your friends in Europe as well, and we can't have a deadline here. I don't buy that at all. Thanks for allowing me to clarify it. Let's go here. Deputy, I've done literally 30 seconds.
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