I have listened to the protestors. I have listened to the workers. I have listened to the people of Kerry - the canvassers who soldiered on long days and bad nights with me over the years. I have listened to my family and my friends, to the office staff in Kerry - Fiona and Kevin - and to the Department of agriculture people, such as Jacquie Casey and all of the people I adore. I have listened to my son Jackie, who has been my side all of the time. I have always looked at myself as a gauge of the people of rural Ireland, and I really believe that I am. When I see people begging on the side of the road, when I see grown men crying, and last night inside in the Plough Bar when I met tractormen, lorrymen and farmers who were telling me how unhappy they were, the leader of the country should have listened. Since I believe this Government has let the people of Ireland down, I will be voting no confidence in the leader of the country and I will be tendering my resignation as a Minister of State from now. I ask that future Governments, and this Government, listen, be kind and be understanding. There are farmers who are really suffering so much at present. There are agricultural contractors who are really suffering. There are people who cried at the protests. These were workers. These were respectable people. They are the people I have represented since the first day I started. Any day I get up, I do not mean to hurt, offend or do harm to anybody. When I canvassed in the election of 2016, people asked me in Kerry whether if I got an opportunity to go into government, would I. I said I would if the opportunity was right and it was good for the people of Kerry, but now the people of Kerry are telling me that they are unhappy with this Government. They do not want to see me or any other Healy-Rae supporting it. I remember my late father today. He supported Governments when things were bad and things were tough. Last night before I went to bed, I asked him what I should do. The feeling I have is the Government, and its leader in particular, has not listened. It is a lesson for people-----

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Sorry, just one second. It is a lesson for people in the future. I adored being a Minister of State in the Department of agriculture because I felt I was able to do good and I was passionate about my job.

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I am sorry, and I thank you all very, very much.

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