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

I have written to the Commissioner. The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Deputy Charlie McConalogue, and I have invited him to come to Ireland to discuss this matter with us and to visit an Irish farm to see how well managed our beef and dairy sector is. He has agreed to come but I do not have a date as yet for this to happen. I look forward to that engagement. Of course, the overarching priority for the Government is to make sure that we hold on to the 220 kg per ha derogation. I believe that reducing this to 175 kg per ha would inflict serious damage on farm incomes and on our food export sector, which is important to this society and economy as a whole. The decision is made in relation to 250 kg per ha but we have got some flexibility on that. The Deputy will see in the maps that came out last night that it provides for about 250 farms to continue to use 250 kg per ha. Of course we will explore any other possible flexibility with the Commissioner when he visits and meets with me and the Minister. I do not, however, want to raise false expectations as to what is possible and what is not.

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