Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)

I was interested to hear the Minister say that he wanted to do his best for farming. I would understand that comment if it had come from the Minister for Agriculture and Food. If the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government takes that particular role in the matter, who is doing the best for the environment? We are taking about the pollution of water from fertilizer run-off from land and the physical waste from poultry farms, pig farms and so on going into ground water, rivers and lakes. I understand the farming interest and the concerns of agriculture in this matter but if the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government believes his role is to do his best for farming, who is defending the environment? Also, when will the advice Government got from Teagasc be published? Surely it is time it was in the public domain. Teagasc appears to be of the view that the advice it gave the Minister is a State secret.

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