Money? – Yes Law? – No

The recent suggestion by Fine Gael Cllr. Michael Fitzgerald that his rural constituents should be exempt from the law on drinking and driving serves as a good example of the irresponsible attitude of the Irish when it comes to law enforcement.

There was another good example on last Wednesday’s Drivetime (Farm News). Irish farmers have been whingeing for years about a proposed EU directive designed to reduce the environmental damage caused by nitrates.

When it comes to EU money, the Irish always plead special case status for more. When it comes to EU law we always plead for less. And so it was with the Nitrate Directive. The farmers finally wore the EU bureaucrats down and got special status. In other words, they are free to continue their environmentally damaging ways.

But the farmers weren’t finished yet. The Irish Farmers Association is insisting that farmers should be given a copy of the check list used by inspectors and also a minimum of 14 notice of any inspection, which, of course completely negates the whole exercise.