Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

No, I certainly do not agree. If the Deputy had spent a bit more time analysing and assessing this and informing himself of this issue, he would not be making those assertions across the floor of the Dáil. No matter the issue he is addressing, it is always Deputy Murphy's approach to paint life as a competition between oligarchs and the wider population. He is trying to do the same here in respect of agriculture, tying it into his approach to the nitrates derogation. A trip beyond the M50, walking around a few farms, meeting a few farmers and going to the odd mart across the country would certainly help inform his approach and insight into this.

The average size of dairy farm in this country is about 90 cows. We have about 17,000 farmers. The average income for dairy farmers in 2023 was €49,000. Some 40% of our dairy farmers farm in derogation. If the Deputy was to take himself to Cavan and Monaghan, he would find many farmers in derogation there. I am talking about farmers with smaller farms of 50, 60 or 70 cows. If we were not able to maintain our derogation, many of these farms would become unviable and unable to produce a full-time family income. The outcome of the removal of our derogation, which is what the Deputy wants, would inevitably be consolidation and larger farms. Of course, this might feed into his narrative and allow him to stand up and rail against large farmers in future years, if he is still here. That is what his policy and approach of trying to do away with the derogation would actually achieve. It is important.

There are good, valid and scientific reasons as to why we have the derogation. We can grow more crops and grass in this country, utilising more nutrients over the course of the year to grow those plants, than some other countries across Europe can. Those countries are much more arid in nature and do not have the same growing capacity. However, all of that is dependent on us improving our water quality and meeting the nitrates directive, which we and all farmers in derogation are absolutely committed to doing.

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