Will the Deputies sit down?

Sentiment score: 0.00

I am only starting. I am glad to get the opportunity to talk here and support the Government's announcement of this money for the greyhound industry and the horse racing industry. We know what they mean to our county of Kerry. People with greyhounds are out in the morning, late in the evening, walking and exercising the dogs and exercising themselves, and they are a vital part of our community. We hear the Opposition, which was playing to the gallery last Wednesday night about all they would do for the farmers. These are all farmers and they are rural people trying to live the best way they can. We appreciate the level of money the horse racing industry brings to towns like Killarney, with four or five race meetings there. Then we have the big one in Listowel - the harvest festival - and a huge amount of people come from all over Ireland and spend their money in Listowel and the local towns because they cannot all stay in Listowel for the week. We have to be honest and appreciate the colour and the fashion that the ladies bring to places like the Listowel races and Killarney races-----

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-----and where they spend fortunes to do themselves up and add glamour to our events. We appreciate that very much. We have local ladies from Kilgarvan who actually won the best dressed lady in Listowel, including Joanne Murphy. We appreciate all of this because it means so much to rural Ireland. As for the people talking against it, I am sorry that they do not understand it. They should come down and see what is going on there, and walk the roads with the people who are walking the dogs because they are doing tremendous work. It is great for people's heads to get out on the road and walk in the fresh air. They love their dogs and appreciate them and they do nothing in the world wrong to them. They spend more on the dogs than they spend in their homes.

Sentiment score: 0.38