Trevor Sargent (Dublin North, Green Party)

In Kilkenny a number of farmers are working together in biogas production, which has led to a much reduced problem with the land-spreading of slurry. It is not just about storage or land-spread but innovating and creating a useful by-product at the same time. Does the Minister have anything more to offer, perhaps in conjunction with the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources, Deputy Dempsey, or the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Deputy Roche, so that an interdepartmental package can be put together to overcome the problem of complying with the nitrates directive, given that we are over 12 years behind the rest of Europe in that regard? I appreciate there is friction in the Minister's party on the implementation of the directive.

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