Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

It is not just about the whole agricultural and food system, it is also about the consumer. I believe that the Irish consumer will start to say "Please, Minister can we have our peas without pesticide on top?", even if it is a fodder crop. My point is that we need to actually start preserving areas of Irish countryside and even if this is about 300 farms they are large farms that are very heavy users of pesticide and herbicides. It is not unimportant for us to start managing our rural system. It is not as if the whole farm would be disadvantaged since it is only 5% of the overall land area. In those key areas, it would be right and proper for us to be truly Origin Green, to live up to the €364 million that we are providing in green subsidy supports and to say we will not be one of the blocking countries, that we will be one of the promoting countries with regard to this simplified green measure.

4 o’clock

Why is it that it always seems, when it comes to the European Commission and better green solutions, that we are seen to oppose them? That is what happened in this intance. Even if it is only for 300 farms, it is not an insignificant statement that we are not restricting the use of pesticides and herbicides in the way we could have done had we gone with the Commission's advice.

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