A NEW Cabinet Committee on Water Quality announced by the Taoiseach Simon Harris will help avoid a repeat of the ‘chaos’ when the nitrates derogation was reduced, a West Cork Senator said.
Fine Gael’s Tim Lombard was reacting to the announcement by the Taoiseach at the IFA farming and food conference at the Curragh Racecourse last Thursday.
No details of the committee’s make-up have been announced yet – and comes as a general election is imminent, meaning any such committee is unlikely to be formed until after the results, as any future Taoiseach will likely choose their own appointments.
Nevertheless the plans represent a commitment to retaining the nitrates derogation, and for direct involvement – through the committee – by the Taoiseach.
Sen Lombard is a member of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine, and claimed Agriculture Minister Charlie McConalogue did not take their report on board when announcing his plans for retaining the derogation.
‘I welcome the announcement from An Taoiseach, Simon Harris, TD that he will establish and lead a cabinet Committee on water quality to steer a national effort to retain nitrates derogation. This whole of government approach led by the Taoiseach is something I have been vocal on and consistently called for.
‘This will bring representatives from Government departments, Irish Water, local authorities, the EPA and others around the table ensuring no one is working in a silo.’
Sen Lombard said. ‘This time last year I was highly critical of the handling of this by Minister McConalogue. While myself and three other members of the Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and Marine went to Brussels for a face-to-face meeting with EU Environment Commissioner, Minister McConalogue had a virtual meeting to discuss something of such significance to farmers and rural economies.
‘This issue is too important to be dealt with via Zoom calls. The lack of information and short timelines around the change in derogation from 250kg to 220kg per hectare in some areas was chaotic. We cannot have a repeat and I have consistently called for a whole of Government approach to water quality and led by the Taoiseach.’
Fine Gael Cllr Noel O”Donovan described derogation as a ‘national asset’. ‘The Cabinet Committee, which will instil confidence and assurance in the agricultural sector that this government is committed to retaining the derogation.’
