Results 20,261-20,280 of 24,049 for speaker:Charlie McConalogue

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Ireland's Water Quality and the Nitrates Derogation: Discussion (15 Sep 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: As I said, I welcome this opportunity to engage on the important topic for farmers and our farming sector of water quality and the nitrates derogation. In my opening statement, I would like to address three key points. I will first provide an update on developments since I last engaged with this committee. I will also set out the next steps in implementing the derogation decision....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Ireland's Water Quality and the Nitrates Derogation: Discussion (15 Sep 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: We had a constructive discussion with the IFA last week. Of course, that is not the only discussion we have had. I issued an invitation to all farm organisations and met with the ICMSA the previous week, when I briefed and updated that organisation on the engagement and meeting I had with the Commissioner and the outcome of it. We also discussed the other key issue at the moment, which is...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Ireland's Water Quality and the Nitrates Derogation: Discussion (15 Sep 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: I had a very open engagement with the IFA, as, indeed, did the Tánaiste on that occasion. I had the same conversation with the IFA that day that I had with the ICMSA the previous week, because I had not had an opportunity the previous week to engage with the IFA. We have been working together very closely on this. I have been working very closely with the IFA, the ICMSA and all of the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Ireland's Water Quality and the Nitrates Derogation: Discussion (15 Sep 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: It is clear now that Brussels is adamant so-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Ireland's Water Quality and the Nitrates Derogation: Discussion (15 Sep 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: It is now about finalising the way forward.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Ireland's Water Quality and the Nitrates Derogation: Discussion (15 Sep 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: We are clear on that position.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Ireland's Water Quality and the Nitrates Derogation: Discussion (15 Sep 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: Those are very much the arguments that I put to the Commissioner in my submission that I made to him in August, and also in a follow-up meeting at the start of September. Farm representatives and those on the water quality working group would have fed those arguments to me as part of the consultations that I did with them in advance of compiling the submission to the Commission. There is...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Ireland's Water Quality and the Nitrates Derogation: Discussion (15 Sep 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: We do not have the figure it will be once banding is fully taken into account. That will be established in the next period of time. We expect it to be somewhere in the region between 3,000 and 4,000 farmers.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Ireland's Water Quality and the Nitrates Derogation: Discussion (15 Sep 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: I expect that banding will have an impact. We only know what we know at the moment, which is the current figure of 7,000 farmers in derogation of whom just over 3,000 farm between 220 kg N/ha and 250 kg N/ha. We accept that banding will have an impact and will somewhat increase the number of farms in the category of between 220 kg N/ha and 250 kg N/ha.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Ireland's Water Quality and the Nitrates Derogation: Discussion (15 Sep 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: I acknowledge that the committee met with the Commissioner.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Ireland's Water Quality and the Nitrates Derogation: Discussion (15 Sep 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: That was helpful in communicating our message. It is important that we, collectively, communicate our message and get it across. As the Senator will know from that engagement, the Commissioner was clear, based on the report he received from the committee, as he was with me, that there is no possibility of reopening and renegotiating an amendment to the derogation at this point in time....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Ireland's Water Quality and the Nitrates Derogation: Discussion (15 Sep 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: It is possible to have a limit of 250 kg N/ha in some parts of the country. The map was published at the end of-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Ireland's Water Quality and the Nitrates Derogation: Discussion (15 Sep 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: That is what I am focused on providing to farmers.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Ireland's Water Quality and the Nitrates Derogation: Discussion (15 Sep 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: It is very important that we provide that clarity. The map required and requested of us by the Commission in line with our derogation was published on 30 June. It was clear from the meeting I had with the Commissioner, and from the meeting the committee had with him, that some very minor adjustments to the map may be possible. Arising from that meeting, I have engaged with my team on...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Ireland's Water Quality and the Nitrates Derogation: Discussion (15 Sep 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: Yes, I am.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Ireland's Water Quality and the Nitrates Derogation: Discussion (15 Sep 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: In some areas, where we can back it up by data, yes.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Ireland's Water Quality and the Nitrates Derogation: Discussion (15 Sep 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: That is correct, yes.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Ireland's Water Quality and the Nitrates Derogation: Discussion (15 Sep 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: We are engaging with the Commission on getting that clarity. As I said in my statement, we will finalise that by the end of September.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Ireland's Water Quality and the Nitrates Derogation: Discussion (15 Sep 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: There will be a meeting with the water quality working group between now and then to discuss the issue and work that out. Where we have been since 30 June-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Ireland's Water Quality and the Nitrates Derogation: Discussion (15 Sep 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: It affects the livelihood of everybody who is in derogation, and that is the real challenge here. It should be no surprise that the Commission had that map when its representative met with the committee because the map was required by the Commission to identify the areas that would have failed the test which had been set to decide whether farmers could hold the 250 kg N/ha or would have to...