Nicky McFadden (Fine Gael)

I support colleagues in calling for a debate on water quality. It is extraordinary, in the wake of the Celtic tiger, that our water supply infrastructure is so deplorable. The Environmental Protection Agency has recommended that the only way to solve the problem is to install better treatment facilities and so on.

What the Government has done, however, is to abolish the fallen animal grant. The €28 million previously allocated for this purpose is a relatively small sum when one considers the damage that will be done to the water table when unfortunate farmers who have been so badly stricken by the current economic crisis have no option but to bury dead animals. There is a danger that some irresponsible people may even deposit carcasses in streams and rivers. The cost of bringing a fallen animal to a knackery is now €190, representing an extraordinary increase of 528%. The subsidy has been abolished since last April with the result that there are no incentives for farmers to deal with this extraordinary situation.

Under the water framework directive, we must comply by 2015 with defined water quality standards. How will we achieve this objective when no incentive is given to farmers to assist them in the disposal of fallen animals? I read with disdain that the Irish Farmers Association has asked that farmers be permitted to bury their animals. This is not the way forward. I call for an urgent debate on this issue in view of the difficult situation in which farmers find themselves. Measures must be put in place to replace the former successful scheme.