Noel Coonan (Fine Gael)

I second the motion. I welcome the Minister to the House and look forward to a constructive debate on this hugely important issue which will have serious repercussions for the farming community.

The first four paragraphs in the motion point out that the Minister does not have the support of the farming community. It is obvious he has lost the confidence of all the farming organisations. This is borne out by the recent withdrawal of the IFA from the social partnership talks. There is a clear indication that farmers are anything but happy with the Minister's performance to date.

The motion also refers to incompetence on the part of the Minister by signing into law regulations which go beyond current best farming practice, as supported by Teagasc and as set out in the rural environment protection scheme. The guidelines for this scheme are set out in the green book, which according to Teagasc is the bible for best farming practice. I would have expected the Minister would take advice from Teagasc and the farming community as the REP scheme has worked very well up to now.

I saw a television debate between the Minister, Deputy Roche, and the head of the Moorepark research facility, Dr. Pat Dillon, in which the Minister looked clearly uncomfortable. The heat of Dubai possibly upset him. The Minister for Agriculture and Food wiped her hands of this matter and passed the poisoned chalice to the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, who is very uncomfortable with such a responsibility. The Minister for Agriculture and Food abdicated her responsibilities to the farming community and allowed the Minister to take the flak for it, which was a clever move on her part. There was complete disagreement between the two Ministers and the head of Moorepark Research Centre.

Somebody must have tried to con farmers and somebody did not tell the truth. The Minister could clarify matters tonight and let us know who is and is not telling the truth in this regard. The head of Moorepark Research Centre clearly stated that Teagasc has not signed off on some of the issues for which the Minister clearly tried to blame Teagasc. There is complete disagreement between Teagasc, which is a scientific organisation, and the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government when the two should be working hand-in-hand in the interests of Irish farming. This deadlock would be funny if it did not have such serious implications for the farming community.

In respect of this issue, the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government is up to his neck in slurry. He knows his position is wrong.