Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Teagasc would say that there would be an impact from it, but that it would not necessarily be the step that would make the most impact. As well as that, it is the step which has the most financial and economic impact. There are other steps that could be taken, and which we are taking and have already taken. One of the main steps which I wanted to put on the Commissioner's table was seeking to reduce our chemical fertiliser further so that we could hold our overall organic maximum of 250 kg N/ha. Certainly the big issue is that it has a significant economic impact for those between 220 kg N/ha and 250 kg N/ha. Teagasc would say that it has some impact on water quality but it is the measure which would obviously have the biggest impact economically at the same time. That is why we wanted to avoid it.