Dick Roche (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)

The Senator will know that deferring the date of commencement until 1 February is not simply a delay of six weeks. It means that the closed period will not come into effect until the back end of 2006, which will be more than six weeks. There is a 22 month period concession for major licensed pig farmers.

As the Senator is aware, the nitrates committee was due to meet on 12 December. If I had failed to sign the regulation, we could not have commenced that derogation discussion at that time. We would have had to wait until the late spring. That would have been a grotesque disservice to farming. In this regard, the patience of those in Europe would have run out. We have already lost the European Court of Justice case, as the Senator is aware. We face daily fines and a huge and harsh imposition. We would have used every ounce of political capital we have in Europe and would have got nothing for farming.

By playing the game the way we did we put together a deal that will protect the interests of Irish farming. I listened carefully to farmers, had repeated meetings with various farming groups and, as the leader of one farm organisationacknowledged publicly, I was the first Minister he was ever able to phone late on a Sunday night.

The reality with which we must deal is that when we must face legal obligations in Europe we should not run from them but should deal with them. If we deal with them upfront, we will be in a much better position to negotiate.

I understand the point the Senator makes about confusion because there was confusion. A letter was issued by an official from Teagasc which was regrettable because it put the farm leadership and my officials in a most difficult position and 48 hours later the letter was withdrawn. I accept that was a disservice to farming. The Senator, Teagasc in general and farming organisations are not to blame for that. It caused chaos among pig farmers because they were deeply worried. I met them and could understand their anxiety. I met Mr. O'Keeffe, who represented that sector twice in a period of eight days and was willing and delighted to do so because I learned from doing that.

We were left with no aces up our sleeve in those negotiations and the officials with whom we were dealing, as I said on a farming programme this week, knew full well that we had reached the end of the line. We made a very good deal in the circumstances. In saying that, I am not being boastful because I had established some political capital in Europe and was able to use it to benefit Irish farming. We would have faced a very dire future if we had failed to meet our legal obligations.