Holly Cairns (Cork South West, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

When is Fine Gael going to be honest with farmers? The Taoiseach is out trying to score a few political points at the expense of the coalition partners but in the process he is misleading farmers and giving them false hope. On Friday we saw the Taoiseach contradict the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine by going over his head and suggesting that the EU decision to reduce the nitrates derogation could be revisited. He was going to write personally to the Commissioner and invite him to Ireland for discussions on the issue. This was after the Minister, Deputy McConalogue, had repeatedly, publicly stated that this will not happen and that it cannot be done. Yesterday the president of the Irish Farmers' Association, IFA, Mr. Tim Cullinan, told "Morning Ireland" that the Minister needed to stop working against the Taoiseach and that he should instead support his Taoiseach. Maybe the Minister can clear up this mess today. At this point the least that the Minister, Deputy Coveney, owes farmers is honesty. After all, the Minister, Deputy Coveney, as Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, was the architect of the policy of limitless expansion in the dairy sector that was pursued when he lifted the milk quotas.

At the time he said, "I will not allow a situation where the potential for growth and expansion in agri-food will be compromised by the setting of emissions limits." His policy was not to consider environmental constraints, a policy of “the sky is the limit”. The inevitable consequences were not a concern for him, and now we are feeling all the repercussions of that incredible negligence.

The country had 500 pristine rivers in the 1980s; now, we have just 32. We have a biodiversity crisis, with 91% of protected habitats in poor or inadequate condition. More than 120 native plants and animal species have already gone extinct. Many small farms have become completely unviable. We all know that farmers do not get up in the morning motivated to pollute waters, to release as many emissions as possible. We all know these results are a direct consequence of the Government's policies. They are not a collective decision ever made by farming communities. Now, in just a few months, farmers are expected to reduce their herds, and their incomes, just like that. We have known this was coming for some time and yet there has been no preparation. I think that perhaps worse than pursuing a policy that was destined to fail is continuing to pursue it when it has already failed.

At the very least at this point, farmers deserve honesty; at best, they deserve a plan and stability. We know suggestions that the Commission will revisit the derogation are a charade. Does the Minister accept that – “Yes” or “No”? Does he accept that now is not the time to pretend to fight the inevitable to score political points, but to redirect efforts - of the Taoiseach, the Government and the Department - to helping families through these transitions?

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