The Green Party has slammed the Government after it disregarded the need to protect Irish soils and biodiversity.

The party said it was disappointed after the Government said it will sontinue to allow the use of pesticides on Ecological Focus Areas (EFA).

Spokesperson on Environmental Protection, Mícheál Callaghan, said: "It is unacceptable that money spent on this greening measure of the Common Agricultural Policy will be undermined in its effect by the continued use of pesticides in EFAs."

Under the new greening measures in the CAP, farmers with arable land over 15 hectares must ensure that at least 5% of the area is an 'ecological focus area' in order to preserve and enhance biodiversity. A number of options are open to farmers to meet EFA requirements including: leaving a portion of land fallow for six months, planting of hedgerows or suitable forestry, the presence of drains and buffer strips on land, and the use of nitrogen fixing crops. The Commission has proposed an extension of the fallow period of the EFA from six to nine months, as well as a ban on pesticide use on productive areas in the EFA, and the introduction of an obligatory 10-week period for catch crops. Ireland was one of 18 member states to object to the proposed changes at last week's European Council meeting of Agriculture and Fisheries ministers. The reason for the proposed ban is to provide spaces for biodiversity and wildlife to flourish. Pesticide use has been linked to dwindling bee populations across Europe. Bees are natural pollinators, which play an important role in agriculture, with pollinators representing a value of €53 million to the Irish economy annually. However, as a result of objections from Ireland and other member states, the Commission has agreed to reduce the minimum catch crop period to eight weeks and keep the minimum period to six months.

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(CD/LM)