The current visit by European Commission officials to look at Ireland’s water quality work and the nitrates derogation is an “important step” in the campaign to retain the derogation, Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue has said.

Speaking at the National Ploughing Championships, Minister McConalogue said engagement with the Commission delegation has been constructive.

“It’s been positive. It’s an important step to have the officials here. The commissioner came over earlier in the year and we had good engagement. It’s important now that his officials are here,” he said.

He added that the delegation has a full schedule while it is in Ireland, including a farm visit and meeting farmer representatives.

“I met Commission officials on [Monday] on a farm in Co Kildare. I was joined by Minister Hackett and Minister Heydon, very much a whole-of-Government approach to keeping this derogation and indeed getting that message across to the Commission.

“We met with the water quality stakeholder group and farm representative organisations as part of that,” he said.

First-hand experience

The group’s first-hand experience visiting Ireland, the minister believes, will help the case for keeping Ireland’s nitrates derogation.

“It always helps, no matter what it is you’re doing, to see with your own eyes and I think that certainly will help.

The Commission officials were very open to coming here and glad of the invitation.

“No doubt it’ll be helpful in terms of our overall campaign to retain the derogation,” he said.

A top official from the European Commission for the Environment, Humberto Delgado Rosa, was among the delegation that visited from Brussels.