Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

We would all agree that reduced use of fertiliser would be beneficial. It would be beneficial environmentally and would also help reduce costs for farmers. I do not think we should dismiss Teagasc in trying to give advice to farmers on how they can do that. I am sure the vast majority know all of this already but there may be people who benefit from that additional advice and I do not think it should be dismissed in that way. I acknowledge that reducing fertiliser use is not going to solve this problem. We need to reduce the price as well. We are, in comparison with other EU countries, a very small market when it comes to fertiliser sales. No fertilisers are manufactured in Ireland and this results in indigenous fertiliser companies being price-takers, dependent on global supply and demand and subject to exchange rates. The Minister is working with the European Commission on this, particularly in relation to trade defence instruments such as the imposition of duties and tariffs, which are done on a European level. If we could get some change on that it would help bring down prices. We are working on that at the moment.

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