IFA deputy president Brian Rushe, IFA’s representative on the Teagasc board, said that reports this week that the Department of Agriculture influenced the publishing of a key Teagasc report on nitrates banding is “hugely concerning”.

Speaking to the Irish Farmers Journal, he said: “In my opinion, the Department should have no influence on the contents or the timing of publishing a Teagasc report.

"One of the key selling points of Teagasc is that it is independent,” he said.

Clarification will be sought

He added that he will be looking to get the matter clarified at the next meeting of the Teagasc board.

“It makes me very concerned as a client, as a farmer and as a board member,” he stated.

This week, it emerged that Department of Agriculture officials requested Teagasc to delay publishing its analysis on the expected negative outcome of the nitrates changes, so farmers would be given more time to understand the consequences of banding.

The analysis was expected to be published in February or even earlier, but only surfaced in March.

Teagasc and the Department of Agriculture had no comment to make on the matter as the Irish Farmers Journal went to print.