John Dardis (Progressive Democrats)

I welcome the Minister and his officials. I begin by pleading that we be saved from The Irish Times. It is unfortunate that this motion, which makes serious accusations against the Minister, is before the House. I am sure he will rebut those accusations very capably, as he has always been able to do. From my dealings with him when he was a Member of this House and subsequently, I have never known him to be misleading in any of his utterances here or elsewhere. I am sure he was not misleading in this case and he is well capable of rebutting the arguments put forth today.

I will deal with the broader issues relating to the nitrates directive. It has been discussed in an unfortunate context and this has worsened over recent weeks. The debate has been extremely simplistic on many occasions and some contributors, myself included, have found our words and questions interpreted as anti-farmer. It has been put to me that my intervention at the Joint Committee on European Affairs was anti-farmer. If being pro-environment, pro-consumer and pro-water quality is considered anti-farmer, I plead guilty. I say this having worked in agriculture all my working life. Protestations from some farmers that they are the protectors of the environment are pure bullshit.