Noel O'Donovan
Nominated by the Taoiseach · Fine Gael · Ireland
“We are not doing enough at a societal level for a health-led approach to prevent drug use. Senator Scahill outlined that An Garda Síochána was not being resourced. We have talked time after time about putting more gardaí into rural Ireland. We need more there.”
“I pay particular credit to the French family for enduring what they had to do during the criminal process and continuing their campaign to bring today about. I commend An Garda Síochána on its work in the area of domestic and sexual violence and the progression it has made in recent years.”
“I want to share in what my colleagues have said and welcome the report of the drugs committee. Our colleagues in the Seanad have put such vital work into it. I agree with the call that it should be a permanent committee. We should have a debate in this House on drugs use, drugs policy and what we are doing as a State.”
“I too welcome David and Veronica to the Gallery on what is an important and emotional day for the French family. As someone who comes from west Cork, I am not too far from Leap. The French family has had widespread support from the people of west Cork in their campaign since the brutal murder of their sister.”
“These are community centres, not just places where they sell alcohol and other substances, which I suppose can cause desperate effects. We need to support rural pubs, which provide a vital service in our countryside. Over 2,000 pubs have closed in recent years.”
“I genuinely thank the Minister for his personal work on this and for the help and support he gave to the French family. We will continue our work, as legislators, to ensure that victims of crime and their families are supported and that those who commit crimes are dealt with properly by the organs and institutions of our State.”
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“For many employers, particularly small and family-run businesses like my own, there are natural worries about the cost of pension contributions and the additional administrative responsibilities that auto-enrolment will bring, but this is good policy. We have to step forward and introduce this scheme because it is the right thing to do. There are genuine concerns and they should not be dismissed, and as part of the budgetary process, I am sure this Government will support businesses to work through the current difficulties they face. It is important that we proceed with auto-enrolment and see it not just as a cost, but as an investment. It is an investment in the long-term financial well-being of employees, in workplace stability and in building trust between employers and their staff.”
“Until now, Ireland has been one of the only countries in the OECD without a mandatory auto-enrolment pension system. Auto-enrolment represents an investment by the individual, the employer and the State in the long-term well-being of workers across Ireland. It is pro worker and pro enterprise and a system that I am immensely proud to support. Concerns have been expressed by some in the business community. The scheme is strongly pro worker but we have to acknowledge the concerns raised by the business community. Ireland's small business sector is an important cornerstone of our economy, community and societal well-being. Our SME sector is experiencing strain from a combination of factors that have been well documented.”
“At present, there is a significant pension coverage gap in Ireland, with many workers not part of any scheme. Auto-enrolment will play a major role in closing that gap. This is about fairness by ensuring workers have access to a simple and efficient way to save for their retirement. The Government will continue to work with employees and employers to support people in later years. I acknowledge the work of the Minister, the officials in his Department and the work of the previous Minister, Deputy Humphreys, who drove this reform with great determination. Both Ministers were dedicated to ensuring that workers across the State would be recognised for all they had done and could look forward to retirement with dignity, clarity and confidence. This reform is long overdue.”
“I am glad to speak in the Seanad today on an issue that affects so many workers in Ireland but that we do not talk about often enough, namely, retirement security. I look at this issue through three different lenses from my experience as an employee, an employer in a family business and now as a legislator determined to support fair, balanced and sustainable public policy. Employees across this country contribute so much to society and it is essential that retirement not be a worrying or complicated process. The new auto-enrolment pension scheme is crucial in helping employees to secure their future without the bureaucracy that can sometimes come with pensions. As has been mentioned, this reform will support over 800,000 people to save for their retirement.”
“I thank the Cathaoirleach for his kind words on my marriage. I got a new job in recent weeks and have probably the most important work of my life ahead. I also thank colleagues for their kind wishes. On a sadder note, this is my first time back in the Chamber since my colleague Councillor Patrick Gerard Murphy passed away in west Cork. I want to put on record my appreciation for the work he did in west Cork. He did politics the right way. He worked behind the scenes with officials and long before there was a formalised coalition between Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, that is the way it worked in west Cork. He was acknowledged by my colleague Senator Murphy O'Mahony last week. We lost a good man in west Cork.”
“There are points of note to mention in the legislation as well. It is complex legislation, but the broad ethos of it is good and I broadly welcome it today.”
“As more people choose to live their lives with someone and raise a family whilst unmarried, it is absolutely necessary that the State supports them when they are facing the most incredible hardship. That is why I am glad to see this legislation progress through the Houses, as I believe it will have a transformative impact on so many families right across Ireland and will support people in the darkest and most difficult time of their lives. On a personal note, I lost my uncle a number of years ago and he was cohabiting with his partner at the time. Thankfully, we have seen change in terms of property rights and cohabiting rights and it eased our family's situation at the time. I am delighted to see in this legislation that as a state we are protecting cohabiting families even more. I welcome this legislation.”
“This Bill would not be where it is today if it was not for the immense courage and bravery of John O'Meara and his family. In the face of loss, John saw the injustices against families such as his and decided that people going through the tragedy he endured should not have to face such barriers anymore. We all know cohabiting couples and families with cohabiting parents and the value that they bring to society. Ireland is a diverse and dynamic country that is changing rapidly and it is important that our laws reflect this. Society and family are not the same as they were envisaged 50 years ago and this Bill is a step forward towards recognising that.”
“We are correcting an injustice enforced on people across the country for the simple reason of not being married. As of 2024, there are 152,000 cohabiting couples in Ireland, a rise of over 6% since 2011. Of these, 75,587 are living with children. This is up 24% since 2011. A large number of the country are in cohabiting family dynamics, raising children and working together and they are all excluded from the support. This will not be the case for families anymore. This Bill will be an important protection for grieving families to maintain stability in an incredibly uncertain, worrying and challenging time. It represents a momentous stride forward as it recognises that long-term cohabitation is worth the same as marriage in terms of bereavement support.”
“I take on board what my colleague, Senator Craughwell, mentioned in terms of families having to go through the courts to get through right and just legislation. It really should not be the case. However, this is a significant step forward. I fully support the legislation. This is profoundly important. It is grounded in equality and compassion. The Bill seeks to provide support for those who have suffered the very worst and allows for dignity in the face of such loss. This Bill looks to ensure that cohabitants of five years, or two years with a child, are eligible to the payment that many widowers were entitled to. Today we are recognising that people who have built lives and families together and contribute to society whilst not being married, can be supported in the same way in a period of unimaginable loss.”
“Like other speakers, I welcome the Minister to the Chamber. It is the first opportunity I have had to speak to the Minister officially in this Chamber and to wish him well in his role. Obviously, there was a deep sense of personal pride to be appointed as a Minister for Deputy Calleary, his family and his supporters and the people of Mayo and I wish him well in the years ahead. This is very important legislation and I thank the Minister for being in the Chamber. I pay tribute to the Minister for meeting with the family and to the previous Minister, Ms Humphreys, for her work in this area. The Minister also mentioned Deputy Alan Kelly for his commitment to seeing this legislation through and, obviously, Mr. O'Meara, in memory of his late partner, Michelle Batey, for his conviction in progressing this matter through the courts.”
“They spoke about the costs involved in running their chambers of commerce and the voluntary initiatives they put on in their towns and villages. They mentioned the cost of insurance, the cost of putting in place Christmas lights and many other costs they have. It is time we developed a funding mechanism to support chambers of commerce. I would like to raise this with the Ministers for enterprise and community and rural affairs if they are in this Chamber in the coming weeks. I would welcome a comment on that by the Leader.”
“The guidelines were welcome when they were introduced for setting clear cost guidelines. We are now asking that costs and awards not be increased. We call on all Cabinet colleagues in all parties to ensure businesses are supported and no costs are increased. I commend the recent work done by the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment, Deputy Peter Burke, on a cost-of-business analysis and the creation of a new advisory forum to look at the costs facing businesses. We will see the 9% VAT rate discussed in the coming months. That is one issue but there are many more areas where we need to reduce costs for businesses. In recent weeks, I have met representatives of a number of chambers of commerce in west Cork.”
“My constituency colleague in west Cork pipped me to the post in congratulating Cork GAA on its success at the weekend. I congratulate the Cork set-up both on and off the field and my own clubman, Kevin O'Donovan, the CEO of Cork GAA, on his work in recent years with Cork GAA. I hope it will bring us back to the place we want to be. As Senators, we all see the value that sport and GAA bring to communities. It is great to see communities in County Cork coming alive again in red. I will raise two matters in support of my colleague, Senator Nelson Murray, on the personal injuries issue that is coming about. I, too, have been contacted by businesses in recent days about their fears of increased costs and commend the Senator on her work. I remind Senator O'Loughlin that it was in fact the Minister, Deputy McEntee, who introduced this framework.”
“I would welcome a comment on it. I would like the Minister of State to meet the delegation from west Cork tomorrow. There is widespread community opposition to the farmt. It needs to be rejected. We have mussel farms throughout west Cork in indigenous areas on the Beara Peninsula, where local people have farmed mussel farms for a long number of years. This is different. This is a tourist centre and a commercial harbour where we have leisure activities. It is not wanted there. I would welcome the Minister of State’s words on that. Finally, I again thank the Minister of State for what he is doing. It is recognised in the fishing community. However, now is the time for delivery. Let us see some positivity because it is needed.”
“I raised the issue of a mussel farm in west Cork on the Order of Business a number of weeks ago. I am sure the Minister of State is well aware of the recent granting of a licence for a commercial mussel farm in Kinsale. As I said a number of weeks ago, I am not a politician of protest. I do not get involved in populist politics. However, this granting of a licence for the development of a mussel farm in Kinsale Harbour is completely against what should be done. The community is united in its opposition to it. I understand an independent appeals process will take place and that submissions from a wide number of the community will be included. There is also a group coming to Leinster House tomorrow to hand in a petition, which I believe the Minister of State is aware of. More than 7,000 people have signed this petition.”
“I would welcome the Minister of State’s engagement with the Minister for Finance on that matter. I have spoken about this, like Senator Manus Boyle has. Let us put on the green jersey and make change. Others outside of this country will decide on the quota. However, as has been said, if we all come together – political parties, Department officials, the finishing industry – we will achieve gains. There is light on the horizon and the fishing communities see that. We now need to see delivery. I echo the contribution of Senator Duffy regarding our local piers and harbours. I welcome the fact that in Cork County Council, we have set up a new coastal management section, which is structuring and ensuring delivery and upgrade of our maintenance. Work could be done on streamlining that nationally.”
“We need to start asking and demanding. I travelled to the Beara Peninsula a number of months ago and listened dead straight to the people there. They have concerns about the years ahead. They want to see their sons and daughters get involved in the industry. At the moment, that certainty is not there. Senator Boyle outlined the statistics regarding our waters and the riches we have, yet the quota we have is nothing short of robbery. We all know that in this Chamber. We have to demand additional quota. There are changes we can make within the State, the Government and the budgetary process. I am delighted the Minister of State mentioned some of those factors, such as PAYE and tax credits. We need to make positive changes ourselves and we can do that.”
“The fishing communities I represent in west Cork are deeply thankful to him. Any of us who listened to his contribution will hear the care and genuine desire he has to see improvements in the industry. I know the community watching will be thankful for that. The Minister of State was involved in ensuring that the programme for Government had a clear ask for a Minister of State for fisheries. I welcome also the appointment of Kieran Mulvey, who will chair the task force in terms of a strategy for the next five years. That is welcome movement on that. Those are the positives. We have been listening and we have been out there, but now we need to see the action. I respect that the Minister of State said we cannot roll back years. We cannot go back to the 1980s and look for a new deal. That time has passed.”
“Like all other speakers, I welcome the Minister of State to the Chamber. I welcome the fact that we have a Minster for fisheries now working on behalf of the Government. It is a really positive step forward in terms of the fishing industry. I thank the Minister of State for his engagement so far across the country and for recently visiting Castletownbere and attending the AGM again. That is what we need to do. We need to listen to the communities, the stakeholders and the people who go on the boats because they know the industry the best. I thank the Minister of State for that work. I put on record my appreciation for my colleague, Senator Manus Boyle, and his work on the fishing industry in the past number of years. He mentioned four years ago and the 300 people who attended the public meeting. I thank the Senator for his work.”
“Thankfully, there were no lives lost or injuries and there was a successful outcome. I appreciate the work of the security forces but a wider debate is needed on the policing of our rural communities.”
“We all see more gardaí on the streets of Dublin and other cities, but in rural parts of the country, in our one-man stations, we need to see increases. The garda figure for west Cork is between 600 and 650 approximately, which is the same as in 2015 and 2016. We have provided for increases in respect of the services of An Garda Síochána, including protective services, and the force has become more professional in how it carries out its business, which is great, but this is taken from front-line policing. Therefore, we need to have a conversation about front-line policing in our rural communities as well as our cities. Again, I thank An Garda Síochána. The members of our security forces who went out in the early hours of yesterday morning put their lives at risk.”
“I rise today to put on record my appreciation and that of the west Cork community for the efforts of An Garda Síochána, our Naval Service, the Defence Forces and the Revenue Commissioners on the seizure of more than €30 million worth of drugs off Courtmacsherry yesterday morning. The community there is in shock, although delighted about the seizure. We are aware that the seizure is the tip of the iceberg of what comes in to our coast. This highlights the need for an increase in garda numbers in rural areas, although there have been increases in Garda funding in recent years and a commitment to increase the number of gardaí by 5,000 in the programme for Government. I commend the work of the Minister for justice, Deputy Jim O'Callaghan, on tackling the issues in Dublin.”
“This system needs tinkering with. Looking at the State as a whole, we have issues in so many different sectors. Our population is growing and growing, and our services need to grow too. I ask the Minister of State to take this issue seriously.”
“This is not just about calling out the issue and raising the problems that exist. The solutions are there. The development of new dental school in UCC is needed. The project needs €55 million. That is a lot of money, but it is not a great deal in terms of overall goal of getting more dentists into the system. We need to see movement on that. I welcome talk of mobile dental clinics is welcome too. It is about thinking outside the box. I ask the Minister of State to take practical solutions from what has been discussed today, such as allowing retired dentists back into the school system. That is a really plausible option and solution. The retired dentists would not carry out major operations or services, but would analyse and assess. As the old saying goes, "prevention is better than a cure". That is what we need here.”
“The statistics are staggering with regard to the number of available dentists and the drop in services for school dentistry. It is clear we have an issue. As my colleague Senator Lynch said, it is not about system failures; this is about access and equality in our health service. In the area where I come from in west Cork, there are severe needs on the peninsulas outside the big towns and the city. I pay tribute to local councillor Caroline Cronin, who has been raising this issue with Cork County Council. It is good to see a follow-through here and that it is being raised at a national level. Some of the statistics are really serious, such as the number of children being seen dropping by 30,000 to 104,000 in 2023 compared with the 2017 figures. That is quite serious.”
“I will be brief. A lot of valid points have been made, and I do not want to repeat what has already been said. I thank the Minister of State for being in the House for this debate. When talking about dentistry, certain words come to mind. When we go to dentists, we are all reminded of proper dental hygiene and brushing our teeth in the morning and evening. Some of us may well be guilty of not following through on that. This is how I see the issue of dentistry. People have become a bit complacent. This is not an issue that is discussed in the Houses very often. That is where we need change. I pay tribute to my Fine Gael colleagues for raising the matter in the House and to the former Minister of State, Deputy Colm Burke, for his presentation at a recent parliamentary party meeting.”
“While there will now be an independent process of appeal, last Friday we had a peaceful protest in Kinsale with more than 100 boats on the water and 500 people on the local beach. I want to put on record my objection to this application. This needs to be stopped for Kinsale. There is widespread agreement across politics, the local authority and the community in Kinsale that this has to be stopped. I will put down a Commencement matter for debate on the issue but I also wished to note my objection to it here today.”
“For those who will not be familiar with Kinsale, there are Charles Fort and James Fort, locations of significant and historic importance in the Battle of Kinsale. Up to 60 acres of the sea bed is going to be taken up with this development. It will affect the local community and the business community. Up to 14 businesses use the wharf in Kinsale for commercial purposes. I support the local councillor Marie O'Sullivan, who is fighting to ensure this application, which is at appeal stage, is overturned. I have serious questions for the Department as to how this licence was granted. It has sat in the Department's files and on desks for a number of years. Over 600 objections were received, yet a licence has been granted.”
“I rise to discuss an issue in the town of Kinsale. The town is widely known locally, nationally and internationally as a major tourism hub and place of immense beauty. It is the gateway to the Wild Atlantic Way. An issue around the development of a commercial mussel farm at the gateway harbour entrance to the town has arisen in Kinsale. I am not a politician of protest and believe that working with others is how to achieve solutions, but this development in Kinsale has brought widespread frustration and anger within the community. It has actually brought unity in opposition to the granting of the aquaculture licence. This is a commercial application. It is not a private, local, indigenous fisherman looking to apply for a licence. It is a commercial venture that is located at the entrance to the harbour.”
“We will be coming to the recess period, after which we will have the budgetary negotiations. Businesses throughout the country, in particular small, family-run businesses, need our support, need a discussion on this issue and need commitments from the Government going forward. I would welcome it if a debate could be organised on the matter.”
“I acknowledge Senator Stephenson for reading the names of those who are no longer with us into the record of the House today. I also commend Senator Black on her work in this area. I had thought about raising the issue of VAT 9. In west Cork and throughout the country at the moment, we have had many weeks of fine weather. People are out enjoying it, and they are visiting hospitality businesses throughout the country. Even though they are busy, these businesses are, however, really struggling with the increased costs of doing business. Much has been said about the VAT 9 campaign. There have been positive soundings in the programme for Government and reference has been made to a reduction to a 9% VAT rate in the upcoming budget. We need a debate in the House with the Minister for Finance on the matter.”
“I join in the comments of Senators across the House on the topic of the situation in Gaza. There are no words we can use in the House today that can express the wrong - the sheer genocide, the sheer murder - of what is taking place at the moment. We talk about issues in our constituencies in this country, such as disability and infrastructure issues, but it behoves us all, as legislators and Members of the Oireachtas, to call out exactly what is going on. We can all do more - we genuinely can. I spoke to a group of US students today and they talked about what it is about Irish people and our culture that makes us speak out and means we are seen as leaders on the world stage. We are seen as just that. We are doing a lot and we can do a lot more across all of the political divide.”
“As some Senators have mentioned here today, a pressing matter facing so many is family income being too large to meet the threshold. We need to fix that system. Students are losing valuable time commuting to and from college when the distances are so long. They are forced to reduce the hours they can dedicate to their studies and assignments because they have to spend so long travelling. I welcome the commitments in the programme for Government to investing in affordable student accommodation. We need the required legislative changes to allow technological universities to borrow more money to build and purchase student accommodation. Mention has been made of, and we need to see the publication of, the new strategic plan for student accommodation and finally commit to providing the number of student beds needed to meet the shortfall.”
“These costs are really stopping people from entering college. For a lot of students, it is simply not possible for them to afford the high costs of student rent. Many students try to balance work and study to afford the rent, and the constant pressure of being in financial trouble can heavily impact the quality of a student's life and mental health. There are also students who have to commute to college daily because they can neither afford nor find housing. I spoke to a college student recently in my own area of Castletownbere who for two years had to travel to UCC. Not to mind the cost of fuel for travelling to UCC, that student had to stay in their car a number of nights during their college years. That is simply not acceptable.”
“We were still teenagers setting off on our college journey, but by living together, cooking, socialising and dealing with the many social issues we came across in our lives, we grew as individuals and prepared ourselves for life ahead. Accommodation is much more than just a roof. Nowadays, there are many issues students face when they are struggling with their accommodation. One issue among many is the cost of renting and the financial stress that falls on students due to unaffordable living costs. I looked at some statistics in preparation for the debate today and, according to dublin.ie , the average cost of accommodation in the city centre at the moment for a one bedroom apartment is €1,700. In Cork city, the rent for students can go up as high as €7,000 or more for shared accommodation in one academic year.”
“I welcome the Minister to the Chamber and wish him well in his endeavours in the years ahead. I raise the issue of student accommodation and the shortages thereof. It has been mentioned a few times by my colleagues here. There is no denying we have major issues when it comes to a lack of housing, which is also creating significant issues with homelessness, but the lack of housing is also having a serious contagion effect for students. The lack of student accommodation is taking away the opportunity of studying for students as well as placing a heavy financial burden on the students and their families, impacting their student life experience and mental health. I think back to my own days of college life in UCC and how fortunate I was to live in a house with many people who I still call friends.”
“It has an impact on families where adults or older siblings are having to accompany the younger people within their families because of insurance issues. I am not condoning for a second learner drivers driving unaccompanied but it is having a serious effect on families, not to mind the traffic offences that young people are enduring because of penalties and fines enforced by An Garda Síochána, which it has to do. We are being contacted by young people within our communities. We have to do something. The system is broken and I am calling for change and a debate on the matter in this Chamber.”
“I want to raise the issue of the driver test wait times at present. It has been raised in this Chamber previously. Specifically, in west Cork, the Southern Star did some research recently and the wait time is six months at present. That is absolutely ridiculous. I am calling for a debate in this Chamber with the Minister for Transport directly on the matter because the RSA is not fit for purpose on this issue. A root-and-branch review of the system needs to be carried out. I accept we see movements to employ new testers but I simply do not believe that will be enough. We need to look at the whole process. We need to engage secondary schools and the education system in terms of driver training, and driver testing as well, because this has an impact on people's lives.”
“It is to give confidence to farmers in that area and the wider west Cork area. I can give it at my level and I know it is being expressed through all the media but there is nothing like hearing it on the ground. I thank the Minister for his work on this and for being in the Chamber this morning.”
“I thank the Minister of State for his words. I genuinely see and understand his conviction about holding the derogation. For the farm families I represent, this is a business that needs certainty like any other business. On holding a section at 250 kg N/ha, if we can statistically check the water quality in streams and rivers surrounding an area that is at 250, I believe it would support our argument for holding a 220 or a derogation in general. It is a point to be made to EU officials and it would help if we can show water quality is at a pristine level for a specific area at 250, even with intensive agriculture. I acknowledge the Minister of State's visit to Timoleague before. There is an invitation for him to visit again and I hope he can do so in the near future.”
“I ask the Minister to comment on that because farmers see the work they are doing, but if EPA testing in our bays and wider estuaries takes in other forms of pollution, that must be acknowledged so the blame is not attached to farmers. The dairy industry in this country uses a grass-based model, which must be protected. For as long I am in this Chamber, I will speak for the farming industry. We need certainty and assurance because the farmers I meet are looking to the next generation. We have other issues, such as TB and the succession issue, on which the Minister is working. The derogation is important for the farmers I represent. I congratulate Councillor John Michael Foley in Timoleague, who raised the matter at Cork County Council recently. He secured widespread support in the chamber, with the exception of the Social Democrats.”
“I want an assurance from him that he and his Department will do all they can to retain this derogation because it is vitally important for the farmers I represent. I am not a farmer or a scientist but I understand the work the farming community is doing. The statistics are there. The majority of the Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, sampling for testing takes place in the bay in Courtmacsherry. It does not take place on the catchment rivers which are pristine and showing improvements. Farmers fear the EPA testing is picking up residual pollution and residual matter in the water. I do not want to be alarmist but there are man-made issues relating to wastewater facilities that have contributed to the pollution in our rivers, streams and bays.”
“The work farmers are doing on the ground is incredible to see. On the reduction from 250 kg N/ha to 220 kg N/ha, which is now to take place at the end of the year, farmers are rightly asking why they are doing this work if they are to see this reduction. There is a contagion effect and fear is spreading among the farmers who are already at the 220 kg N/ha limit. They see the farmers undertaking intensive agriculture at the 250 kg N/ha limit doing the work and water quality in the catchment area improving, as has been shown statistically, and ask if their good work is to no end. That is the fear farmers in my area have. We need to stand firm. I look forward to the Minister providing clarity on why the 250 kg N/ha rate has come about in recent times.”
“We do not have the power to ensure the derogation will remain but it is important that we stand firm on the side of farmers. A number of weeks ago, the Department disclosed a new map regarding the reduction of the 250 kg N/ha to 220 kg N/ha. This affects areas of my constituency. The Minister will be familiar with the Timoleague catchment area. This has come as a serious shock to some of the farmers in the area although discussions will have been held in recent years in which this reduction may have been forecast. I recently visited the catchment area and I saw at first hand the work the farmers are doing there. The rivers there are visually pristine. You would have no problem drinking from the rivers there because of the work of the farmers as regards nutrients stored and the time periods in which farmers are actually spreading slurry.”
“I welcome the Minister to the Chamber and thank him for being here to discuss an issue that is really important to me, the Minister and the farmers of west Cork. I refer to the issue of derogation. The Minister will know that, during a discussion on the CAP in this Chamber a number of weeks ago, I discussed the importance of derogation for the farmers of west Cork, many of whom I represent. I congratulate the Minister on the work he is doing to ensure we have a derogation in the years ahead and on the setting up of the Cabinet sub-committee on water quality because that is really important to show Europe the work that we are doing and that farmers are doing to improve water quality. Our party, Fine Gael, is leading on that work. It is important that we support the farming industry.”
“I understand the reduction to 220 kg N/ha later this year may have been proposed last year or the year before but we need to have intensive farming at 250 kg N/ha to show that our water quality levels are being maintained and improved. An early-indicators study recently showed that our water quality is at an eight-year high. I have submitted a Commencement matter on the issue and have invited the Minister for agriculture to the catchment area but my wish is that the Leader take the issue up with him also because it is quite a serious one for farmers in my area.”
“I visited the catchment area and noted that you would feel quite happy to go into the river. You would have no issue with it, nor would you have one with drinking from the river. It is clear that farmers in the area are doing their very best to improve water quality but the reduction from 250 kg N/ha to 220 kg N/ha, proposed for the end of the year, will have a serious effect on their farming businesses. We need to provide certainty to the farming community. The farmers I met are of a generation that wants its sons and daughters to enter the industry, but they are fearful because of the uncertainty that lies ahead.”
“I want to raise an issue I spoke about some weeks ago when the Minister for agriculture was in the Chamber, the nitrates derogation. A specific issue has come to light in recent weeks in the Timoleague–Kilbrittain area of my constituency, Cork South-West. Farmers in the area have been farming to a stocking rate of 250 kg N/ha, but in the week before the Easter recess a map was released showing the rate for the area is to be reduced to 220 kg N/ha at the end of the year. That is really serious for the farmers in the area because they are farming progressively and trying to improve their farming methods. There is quite a specific set of results pertaining to the catchment area, and these come from work Teagasc is doing on monitoring the water quality there. They show continuous water-quality improvements in the area.”
“I genuinely have great faith and hope that the Minister of State will take this issue on board, working with all the agencies, including Inland Fisheries Ireland and the EPA, to find a solution. The Arterial Drainage Act has been mentioned. We need to publicise and communicate that Act and ensure people know what they can do and can be funded to do because, ultimately, people's lives and properties are being affected by our lack of clearing and maintenance of drains.”