Nitrates dispute
The exchange became an argument after Deputy Whitmore accused the Taoiseach of saying farmers should leave farming, while the Taoiseach insisted the Government sought a sustainable outcome. She criticised the state of water bodies and he defended the action programme and called MARA part of the solution.
-----it is absolutely unacceptable for the Taoiseach to say that.
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I want to support farmers but the reality is-----
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-----you have wrecked our water bodies, Taoiseach. You have wrecked them.
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You have failed to protect them.
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MARA is part of the solution. In 2022 the Government introduced the nitrates action programme. The Deputy knows there is an action plan there. She also knows it is the most robust nitrates action programme to date in terms of water quality. Last August the Department of agriculture and marine published Water and Agriculture - A Collaborative Approach. Progress has been made with a 10% reduction in nitrate concentration in our rivers in most regions. EPA reports have confirmed the trend of a reducing number of rivers with elevated nitrate levels. However, further reductions in nitrate concentration are needed, particularly in the south east.
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The Government is failing farmers and failing the environment.