There has been a “heated debate” between the president of the Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA), Tim Cullinan and Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue over the nitrates derogation.
IFA members protested against the cut to the nitrates derogation and the delay in farm payments outside the Fianna Fáil think-in in the Horse and Jockey Hotel in Co. Tipperary this morning (Monday, September 11).
An IFA delegation met with Tánaiste Micheál Martin and Minister McConalogue in what Cullinan described as a “heated debate” for an hour and a half, discussing both issues, however, without government commitments.
The protest by the IFA today is the second so far following the announcement last week that the nitrates derogation limit will drop to 220kg N/ha from January 1, 2024 in certain areas, due to insufficient improvement in water quality.
Nitrates derogation
Commenting that the fact that Minister McConalogue discussed the matter in a video call with European Commissioner for the Environment, Virginijus Sinkevicius is “beyond belief”, Cullinan told Agriland:
“My request of the minister is that he goes back and meets the commissioner in person and persuade him to get officials over to Ireland, so that we can make our case and explain them the unique grass-based system we have here and continue doing what we are doing.”
The IFA put a proposal to the minister and to Brussels which, he said, proposes that if a farmer wants to stay at 250kg N/ha that they would reduce the level of inorganic fertiliser being used on the farm and put more storage on farms.
“It is not that we are just looking for something here, we have a very credible proposal and solution for the minister here, but we need our minister to be able to deliver this for us but he is not doing that.
“At this point in time, the minister hasn’t represented farmers in a proper manner, it is his job, he was elected to do that, and he has to do it,” the IFA president said.
The IFA plans to continue its demonstration outside the Horse and Jockey Hotel in Tipperary overnight and until tomorrow (Tuesday, September 12) evening when the Fianna Fáil think-in concludes.
Cullinan told Agriland that the IFA will also hold a protest outside the think-in of Fine Gael in Limerick on Friday (September 15) and all day Saturday.