Dick Roche (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)

Does the Fine Gael Party forget that only one and a half years ago, in its European election manifesto, it stated that "Fine Gael remains very concerned at the failure of the Government to prioritise environmental matters, and to implement key EU Directives ...". There is no EU directive of more significance to water than the nitrates directive. How can Fine Gael, which rightly prides itself on being a party which is progressive, stick its head in the sand in that regard? I cannot believe that Fine Gael put down this motion asking me to delay the introduction of the directive further. Even if it were in my power to do so, it would be the wrong action to take. It is time we stopped the prevarication and got on with the job.

In 1996, my predecessor as Minister for the Environment, Deputy Howlin, and the then Minister for Agriculture had no problem in putting their names to the best practice guidelines booklet. If Members read the booklet, the introductions they wrote could not be better written today. In the Dáil last week, Fine Gael members asked me to postpone implementing the nitrates directive.