Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The dairy sector in this country is based on the co-op structure. Given the socialist utopia Deputy Murphy is looking for, I would have thought he would be a bit more supportive of the sector given that it is farmers co-operating for the benefit of farmers. If he was to spend a bit more time meeting a few farmers or listening, looking and interrogating the statistics rather than trying to shoulder everything into his narrative of the wider world, he would realise that the nitrates derogation is really important in allowing ordinary family farms in this country to make a basic and decent living, providing a wider good to all of society in producing food in a sustainable manner. As a Government, we are absolutely committed to maintaining the derogation and to backing those farmers. I encourage the Deputy to get out and about a bit more and to engage with them himself.

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