Mattie McGrath: Nitrates cuts 'devastating' for medium farms
Mattie McGrath warned that lowering nitrous directives from 250 to 220 would devastate medium-sized farmers and force large reductions in stock, calling the targets unachievable. He also spoke on national air security arrangements, the committee-led review of abortion services, the GAA GO broadcasting controversy, and the challenge of retaining Ireland's Nitrates Directive derogation.
Nitrates and farm viability
Bringing the nitrous directives down from 250 to 220 is described as having a devastating impact on medium-sized and fairly medium-large farmers, including those with 50 to 100 cows. McGrath argued many families would be forced to reduce animal numbers to meet targets and that the changes would threaten the viability of those farms.
Air security and defence arrangements
McGrath said he was limited in what he could say about national sky security but stressed that existing arrangements are consistent with the country's foreign defence and security policy. He noted the State has an air corps rather than an air force on the scale of the UK, France, Russia or the US and that arrangements are in place for specific scenarios to ensure safety and national security.
Independent review on abortion services
On the independent review of abortion services and laws he said the business committee decided the committee should complete its work first before the matter returns for further debate. McGrath described that sequencing as appropriate and noted time has been set aside to debate cost-of-living issues while the Government uses time for legislation.
GAA GO and broadcasting of matches
McGrath backed calls by Thornestad for a review of the GAA GO controversy and cited comments from former GAA president Liam O'Neill about the volume of major matches on weekends. He proposed that RT and TG Cahar should televise the most popular and important matches while GAA GO could carry additional fixtures, calling that a potential win-win and urging discussions between RT, TG Cahar and the GAA.
Nitrates Directive derogation status
McGrath reminded colleagues that Ireland does not have an automatic entitlement to a derogation under the Nitrates Directive and said the State is one of only five countries out of 27 that have one. He said the Government and the minister are working to maintain the derogation by meeting water-quality requirements.
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We have my group to have a proper debate here on the nitrous directives. We have seen in the headlines today who are the big polluters. Farmers have been blamed here. Bringing the nitrous directives down from 250 to 220 is going to have a devastating impact on medium-sized and fairly medium-large farmers, and not that large either, 50 to 100 cows. They are going to have to get rid of so many of their animals to meet these unachievable, unattainable targets that they won't be viable. to survive anymore. So it's another way of getting rid of the farmers and getting rid of the animals. Just green policy has gone daft and you won't touch what you should be touching. So it's time that you set up, you're supposed to be rural parties, defend the farming communities and defend our food sector which is so badly needed and has been so vital in rural Ireland for generations. So those nitrous directives might bear fine and dandy but they are not achievable and it is going to cause havoc to so many young farm families if they go ahead. I thank deputies for raising the issues they have. Just in relation to the security of our skies, this is the national security question. I am limited in what I can say about it. What I can say is that any arrangements we have in place are consistent with our foreign defence and security policy. We have an air corps. We have a very good and effective air corps in Ireland. We do not have an air force of the nature of the United Kingdom or France or Russia or the US. We never will. We do have to put in arrangements for certain scenarios, and we have arrangements for certain scenarios to ensure our safety and national security. In relation to the independent review on abortion services and abortion laws, my understanding is that the business committee decided to allow the committee to do its work first, and then we can come back here for further debate, and I think that is appropriate. Time has been set aside this week to debate the cost of living. The government wants to use its time for legislation. It is important that we set aside time to talk about things. It is also important that we set aside time to do things as legislators, and we will be using our time for legislation. In relation to the controversy around GAA GO, I just want to express my support for the position taken by the Thornestad the other day, calling for this matter to be reviewed. I heard former President of GAA, Liam O'Neill, speaking on the radio this morning. He made a very valid point. There could be as many as 10, 15 major matches on every weekend. It is not possible for RT and TG Cahar to televise all of those matches. The solution to me seems to lie in making sure that the most popular, most important matches are the ones that are on RT and TG Cahar, and use GAA GO for the other matches. I think we all understand that all matches cannot be televised, so there is a potential win-win here, I think, if we can identify the big matches to be televised on RT and TG Cahar, and other matches then being available that would not otherwise be available through the app. Let us allow RT, TG Cahar and GAA to talk about that. Finally, in relation to the Nitrates Directive, Deputy, let us not forget that we have no entitlement in Ireland to a derogation to the Nitrates Directive. I think we are only one of five countries out of 27 that have it, and we are working very, very hard to make sure that we maintain that derogation, and that means making sure that we satisfy what is required in terms of our water quality, and that is the work the Government and the Minister are doing at the moment.
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