Govt accused of 'selling out' on farmers over nitrates

Macra na Feirme has accused the Government of 'selling out' on Irish farmers in relation to an EU directive limiting the use of nitrates on agricultural land.

The directive is designed to reduce water pollution by placing limits on the amount of nitrates farmers can spread on their land as fertiliser.

The Government had sought a derogation following lobbying from farming organisations, but the European Commission rejected the request.

Speaking after talks between Minister for the Environment Dick Roche and the main farming groups yesterday, Macra president Thomas Honner accused the minister of failing to defend an alternative plan to reduce nitrates that was presented to the EC.

"We feel the Government should have stood over that and not conceded more ground to the commission," he said.