The Irish fishing industry has changed for the worst – changed in its impact on fisherfolk and their communities, on the fish stocks and on the bio-diversity of our planet. But the giant agri-business and global food corporations have benefitted hugely, making €Billions. I spoke, with a heavy heart, on this in the Dáil yesterday.

The big ranchers and beef Barons like Larry Goodman are doing down the family farm and those dependent on it. Great to see these small to medium farmers standing up against the big bosses of Agri business, through their own grassroots organisation. Get up the yard!

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THEY TRY TO DEVIDE US, rural and urban, but the environment is EVERYONE’S concern. If the government restored the cuts they made to local authorities they would, for a change, do the right thing and help both the people and the environment, wherever they live, instead of the dreadful ‘slash and burn’ approach they take to our natural heritage.

SEXISM ALIVE AND WELL on the committee I sit on in the Dáil. I had to fight for my turn to speak today. I spoke on the fiasco BROADBAND SERVICES in this country. Why is the delivery of broadband such a ‘cock-up’? Because it relies on privatised services and the ‘market’. Why don’t we have the state deliverying and owning essential services, like when the ESB (entirely state-owned at the time) brought electricity to entire the country? STUFF THE MARKET, it serves only the millionaires and fails the people.

RURAL IRELAND DONE DOWN. I was on the Late Debate radio programme the other evening and spoke about the ‘great initiative’ from Minister Humphries last year, that meant diddly squat to most rural communities. ‘And where would we get the money?’ is the constant cry, when People Before Profit says ‘support our communities’. Tax the wealth of the corporations, we say, MAKE THEM PAY THEIR TAXES.