James Bannon (Fine Gael)

I move:

That Seanad Éireann

—condemns the Minister for Environment, Heritage and Local Government for misleading Seanad Éireann on 14 December 2005 with regard to the nitrates directive by stating that the implementation of the nitrates action plan had the full support of all farm organisations and was acceptable to them:

further condemns him:

—for his incompetence and mishandling of the implementation of this directive by signing into law regulations which go beyond current best farming practice as supported by Teagasc and as set out in the rural environmental protection scheme;

—for jeopardising the future of Irish farming by signing into law regulations which are unworkable, impractical and not based on accurate scientific information;

—for his failure to suspend the introduction of these regulations in light of revised scientific evidence;

and calls on him to:

—suspend the implementation of the full directive pending revised scientific information to be provided by Teagasc;

—revise the existing regulation to take account of such scientific information; and

—implement the directive in a manner which is practical and workable for all farmers and does not unnecessarily go beyond what is required under EU law.

I welcome the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Deputy Roche, to the House on my own behalf and on behalf of the farmers of Ireland. They as much as I are anxious that the Minister, in presenting himself here, will be able to clarify the points raised in this motion and if he cannot do so satisfactorily, take the only course open to him and offer his resignation.