Shane Coleman has said the EU’s decision to grant Ireland an extenstion to the nitrates derogation is “shameful”. 

Earlier this month, the EU Nitrates Committee granted Ireland a three extension to the derogation, allowing farmers to use higher levels of fertiliser on their land than typically allowed in other European Union countries. 

While the Government celebrated the extension of the derogation, environmentalists have warned that the use of nitrates is having a serious impact on the nation’s water quality. 

On Newstalk Breakfast, presenter Shane Coleman described farmers’ reliance on nitrates as a “serious problem”.

“Earlier this year, we had an Oireachtas report blasting the pollution of Ireland's largest saltwater lake in County Wexford,” he said. 

“What used to be a blue lake is now entirely green because of bloom, algae bloom - due to nitrate.

“So on one hand, the Oireachtas report is blasting this, but on the other, successive Governments standing over this derogation, we are the only EU state to do so.

“I know dairy is more important to us, but there's also other EU states that it’s important to as well - and they seem to survive without this derogation.” 

Cows. Picture by: Alamy.com.

Shane added that future generations will look back in horror at what the Government allowed farmers to do to our environment. 

“This is one of these things that in 20 years time, we will look back and go, how did we allow this happen?” he predicted. 

“How do we allow our lakes and rivers to be polluted? 

“Because of one group, however important, however influential? I don't understand this. I think it's shameful.” 

Fellow presenter Ciara Kelly disagreed, describing agriculture as “vital” to the Irish economy. 

“I think we cannot overstate the importance of food production in this country, both to the economy and to our people,” she said.

Main image: A split of Shane Coleman and a farmer in Kerry. Pictures by: Newstalk and Alamy.com.