Ireland has lost five years in terms of addressing water quality issues and retaining the nitrates derogation, former European Commissioner Phil Hogan has said.

Hogan was the guest speaker at the Agricultural Science Association (ASA) conference in the Lyrath Hotel in Kilkenny on Thursday evening.

When asked if he was worried about the derogation, Hogan said: "We should have been worried five years ago.

"We've buried our heads in the sand for the last five years and we've lot five years in terms of doing the work that should be done now. But better late than never and we still have a short window of opportunity.

Evidence

"If there's not evidence to support the talk presented in Brussels, well then we are going to lose it [the derogation]. They're not stupid people altogether in Brussels," Hogan said.

Hogan commended Tirlán's River Slaney project and urged other co-ops to carry out similar initiatives in order to ensure the derogation is retained at its current level.

"The adoption of that proposal from Tirlán of cleaning up the River Slaney as a pilot scheme - if that could be adopted by every co-op, look at the huge impact that would make in terms of the story it could tell through the Environmental Protection Agency to Brussels, to retain the derogation," Hogan said.