Trevor Sargent (Dublin North, Green Party)

The Green Party supports wholeheartedly the Fine Gael motion which ties in closely with an adjournment matter I raised last week on the matter of dairy farmers in my constituency and the issues affecting them, not least the demise in their numbers from approximately 200 in the 1960s to the remaining 22 that are hanging on for dear life in the face of a fast rising cost base and ruthless pricing from the creameries that still take their milk.

This motion is more wide ranging and important in the sense that it relates to how the EU directive is being interpreted north and south of the Border. The Government should take into account that harmonisation of interpretation of this directive should be a key objective so there is not a continuance of what is almost traditional black marketeering due to differences on both sides of the Border. As the motion suggests, where there is a difference the Government must hold up a proper animal health regime for the whole island. This is vital if the island as a whole is to have a future in farming.

The Minister said she is prepared to review the arrangements before they come into effect on 1 January 2007. I hope she follows through on this and that this is a real engagement with the difficulties being highlighted by this debate. There is an underlying assumption behind this directive which states implicitly that farmers need vets and other experts to tell them how to do their job. This debate has shown once again that farmers need to be able to administer essential medicines in the same manner parents need to administer medicines to their child. The cost base for a farmer is so tight now that this is more than just about veterinary and farming practice. It is about survival. I know this from talking to farmers in my constituency who are at the pin of their collars trying to carry on from year to year.

I also know the situation from those outside my constituency, as do other Deputies. I received a letter from farmers in west Limerick the other day. They have serious issues with both the Environmental Protection Agency and local industry in their area. I hope these farmers are being listened to. Over the years they have reported the reasons they believe their animals have died and the mysterious situation in which they find their animals have been affected by environmental factors. They must now be believed. It has been proven that the EPA has not been doing its job properly in this regard.

The Irish Examiner reported last week that the EPA, along with Departments had been telling farmers they were not affected by a particular industry — Aughinish Alumina is mentioned most often — and that the farmers were liars. However, it has been discovered that the farmers were right all along. This may be too late for many of them who have suffered problems, not just with their animals but for themselves and their families also.

I call on the Taoiseach to come clean on this issue following his visit to west Limerick last year. When he was questioned about the health concerns of local people with regard to themselves and their animals at the time, he defended local industry — he was referring to Aughinish Alumina — as the most regulated in the world. There is a need for a must closer investigation into what has been happening in west Limerick. This debate may finish at 8.30 p.m. tonight. However, the investigation into the animal health problems in west Limerick should be intensified because the abuse of farm families and their animals there is nothing short of criminal. I support the motion.

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