Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputies. Deputy Carthy can see from the actions I took at the end of last year in asking Teagasc to do a significant roadmap for how we can make even more efficient use of our organic fertiliser that this is an issue of which I am aware. I tasked Teagasc with that last year and published the roadmap two weeks ago. I am very much aware of this emerging issue and continue to monitor it closely.

There are few farms in the country without the capacity to be more efficient in the use of organic nutrients and more than ever this year, it will be important we do that. As Deputy Cairns said, in the medium and long term, this will cause us to take stock of how we can further reduce our dependence on chemical fertiliser while keeping up productivity. We must focus on soil fertility and multi-species sward, in which there is tremendous potential. That does not take away from the immediate challenge and while I am supporting further take-up of multi-species sward this year and further attention being paid to soil fertility, there is an immediate challenge around the crisis. I am looking at all options but as of now, the advice from Teagasc is something to which all farmers should turn their minds. I will continue to engage closely with the sector on this important issue for all farm families this year.

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