Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Wednesday, 5 July 2023

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine

Ireland's Water Quality: Discussion

Mr. Bill Callanan:

-----and soils law coming at it. There are a lot of agenda items coming from Brussels, as the Deputy can understand, in terms of the environment at the moment. I have no guarantee the Commission will come but we certainly would like to show the work we are doing, whether it is the agricultural catchments programme, ACP, the agricultural sustainability support and advisory programme, ASSAP, the investment we are doing in the likes of clover in terms of accelerated allowances that have been made available in order that people understand on the ground and it is better if they can see it. I just do not have certainty that invitation will be taken up.

As for the water group, we have met three times, quite regularly, every two to three weeks. We will continue that over the next period. As I said at the beginning, our very clear commitment to the Minister is that group should be the first to see this report. When we received it from the EPA and within a matter of two days that report was with that committee before it was sent to the Commission.

It will continue its work up to the end of the summer. We have identified and will put out an issues-type paper on the areas to be considered. That is my personal opinion on those three priorities. How do we connect farmers to water quality locally, how do we look at compliance and how do we look at additional actions? You are leaving nothing behind in order that in 2025, we are in our best position. The industry has to be engaged in that and this has to be supported by industry. As the Cathaoirleach said, we are very dependent on that milk supply. Government alone should not bear the cost, nor should farmers. It has to be a three-way engagement.

I think the last question was on what was the feedback from yesterday.

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