Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I am not rewriting history, with which the Deputy had many problems. I know many of my colleagues in opposition did not like to be pigeonholed in terms of being against the protection of groundwater, but that is the position in which the Deputy put himself by way of the less than constructive approach adopted towards a very serious matter when we were before the European Court of Justice. We might still have fines imposed on us on a daily or lump sum basis because of the inactivity of my predecessors which people chose to ignore. Groundwater protection and the blueprint for water quality in the context of the water framework directive will be the subject of Environment Council conclusions next Monday and the Deputy can take it that I will be supporting them wholeheartedly.

On the nitrates directive, I wholeheartedly agree with the Deputy that calendar based farming is the way prescribed by the farming organisations. We have seen major changes, including monsoon-like rainfall. I have gone out of my way to help people to cope with the very heavy rainfall this year, subject to proper environmental standards being met, by providing for an extension of time for the spreading of slurry and making sure safeguards are put in place to maintain good environmental practice in so far as it is possible to do so. The nitrates directive will be up for review in 2013. The work does not necessarily have to start on it during our Presidency, but I expect that it will and that stakeholders will be involved in the review which will probably start next April.