Tim Lombard (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

This afternoon, I would like to raise the issue of the European Commissioner for the environment, who will be visiting Ireland on 23 November. This is a really significant visit. He is coming here to Ireland to speak and engage with the Irish community about the issues regarding the nitrates action plan. This is a really significant issue for the agricultural community. Unless we get some major changes and leniency in the next few days and weeks, more than 40,000 cows will potentially be slaughtered, and the majority of those will be in calf. It is a huge issue in many ways, such as economic and social. It is just wrong, and that is the key issue here.

We need to make sure that this by the Commission is taken full advantage of. I firmly believe we need to make sure that the Commissioner looks in particular at the areas where we have proven that our water quality is sustainable in high stocking density areas. I mention in particular, and the Cathaoirleach knows this area quite well, Timoleague in west Cork. In this catchment area, Teagasc tests the water once every ten minutes. It has proven that the nitrates level in that catchment area has decreased dramatically in the past 14 years because of the good management practices that happen on the farms. What we do not want next Thursday week is for the Commissioner to arrive at Government Buildings, have a chat and leave again. He needs to put a foot onto the Irish farm and he needs to see how we do things differently. We have a unique model of farming compared with any other country in the world. There is no other nation that does what we do regarding stocking rates and our actual practice of farming. We are what we are; we are a world leader. I do not think there is a knowledge of that in the European Union.

I suggest that two things should happen. First, we should have a debate with the Minister of Agriculture, Food and the Marine next week about this visit. Second, we need to make sure that he puts a foot on Irish farms. What we do not want is for nothing more than a photo call to happen and for him to come in and out. That will do nothing for the agricultural community that is depending so much on this visit.