Continuous scapegoating of farmers while state pollution runs unchecked
Michael Collins TD, leader of the Independent Ireland party, has called for the resignation of the Director General of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for what he described as its “unnaceptable double standards and ongoing campaign to demonise farmers”, accusing the agency of ignoring the state’s own chronic failures in wastewater treatment and environmental management.
Deputy Collins said it was “beyond frustrating” to hear the EPA once again blaming agriculture for pollution problems while unresolved sewage leaks and state system failures are affecting communities the length and breadth of the country.
“Farmers are constantly vilified while the State continues to pollute our rivers with raw sewage and the EPA continues to turn a blind eye” he said. “Take Shannonvale in West Cork – a community where untreated wastewater is being discharged into an area that was supposed to be a children's playground, that is now blocked off due to the EPA's failure to hold the State to account and address the problem. Where is the urgency? Where is the accountability? The state has failed to fix this for years, yet it’s the family farm that gets dragged through the mud.”
The comments follow fresh EPA commentary linking agriculture to water quality concerns, despite longstanding failures by Uisce Éireann and local authorities to resolve basic wastewater infrastructure issues across dozens of towns and villages.
Deputy Collins said that the agency’s “selective focus” on the farming community showed a dangerous imbalance in public policy and undermined rural confidence in government institutions.
“Farmers are already investing heavily in environmental measures, yet every time there’s a press release, it’s the agricultural community that’s in the firing line. Meanwhile, the state’s own pollution is excused or ignored. where is the balance here? It's time for some fairness, it's time the State was held to account and it's time for the Director General to step aside.”
He cited recent reports by the Agricultural Appeals Office and independent farm groups highlighting the need for a more practical, science-based approach to regulation – one that respects the role of food producers and acknowledges regional realities.
“What we need is common sense,” Collins said. “The EPA should stop deflecting and start holding state agencies to the same standard it demands of ordinary farmers. Get the basics right – stop the untreated sewage, fix the water treatment plants, and then we can talk about the rest.”
Collins added that Independent Ireland would continue to push for fairer environmental oversight that protects both communities and farmers alike.
“Back off the farmers. They are not the enemy. The real pollution scandal in Ireland today is coming from the very agencies meant to be preventing it – not from those who feed the country.”
