Mary White (Carlow-Kilkenny, Green Party)

I live among farmers in the Blackstairs Mountains on the Carlow-Kilkenny border. They are trying to comply with the deadline. That is a great start. The farm waste management scheme is a huge issue for the agriculture sector and for environmental protection, particularly of our rivers and lakes. Other Deputies outlined that the scheme has been a huge success. Under the National Development Plan 2000-06, some €66 million was allocated. A total of €113.8 million was spent last year, while €377 million will be spent this year and €125 million next year.

Farmers have enthusiastically availed of the scheme. It is great to see the positive results, facilitating the implementation, albeit late and sometimes enforced, of the nitrates directive. A total of 30,000 farmers have commenced work on this scheme. I am pleased that a further 12,000 approvals have been issued, that the smallest farmers, those below 20 income units, were included in the scheme and that the large dairy farmers who were previously excluded were brought into the scheme through the doubling of income units by the inclusion of milk partnerships. Funding under the scheme, such as storage facilities for slurry, silage, soiled water, mushroom compost or other farm manures and specialised slurry and soiled water handling equipment, have all played their part in cleaning up Ireland's agricultural practices when it comes to environmental protection.

However, despite all this, I believe there has been adequate notice by the Government since March 2006 that this scheme would have to come to an end. Fine Gael is well aware that the 31 December deadline was a condition of the EU state aid approval and the Commission expects us to adhere to this deadline. Given the extraordinary and perhaps excessive generosity of the EU in regard to Ireland's adherence, or lack of, to the nitrates directive, Irish agriculture must respect the finality of this dispensation from Europe. The nitrates directive has been a thorn in the side of the Irish authorities and Irish agriculture for many years. The directive has been in place in Europe since 1991 and it has reduced nitrate pollution in Ireland, which is particularly important. Recent years have shown some resistance to compliance, resulting in the threat of penalties from the European Court of Justice. Last year, my colleague, the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government increased the maximum penalties which would be applied to those convicted of offences under the directive. He did so within the context of proceedings being taken against Ireland for inadequate implementation of the directive.

There are lessons to be learned from the experience of the success of the farm waste management scheme, but I believe we need a higher report card than that. By 2015, all our waters must be of good status to comply with the water framework directive. This target must be achieved so that we can hold up our heads with pride. The recent report on our water quality should make us think, given that 15% of our lakes are contaminated to some extent and there are worrying levels of nitrates in the east and south east. I hope that farmers everywhere will not just ensure compliance because of an EU big stick, but because they know that to maintain a quality environment, protecting our water courses and our rivers, is an instinctively good thing to do for farmers, for our environment and for our Government.

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