The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) conducted a total of 500 nitrates inspections on behalf of local authorities last year, according to the the department’s chief inspector.
Bill Callanan also confirmed that there has been “a significant increase in the department’s activity since 2022, with a doubling of inspection numbers for derogation farmers”.
Callanan said DAFM is currently working with the Environment Protection Agency’s (EPA) national agricultural inspection programme working group, which wants to “harmonise” inspections across the department and the local authorities, and move those inspections to “a risk-based approach”.
DAFM’s chief inspector – who was one of a number of people who gave evidence to the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Agriculture this week on the nitrates directive – said the process currently underway in relation to new nitrates proposals may shine a spotlight on areas that “should be considered” at 220kg of organic N/ha.
The new proposals which are to be brought into the into the review of the fifth Nitrates Action Plan (NAP) are subject to appropriate assessment.
Callanan said it is vital that farmers are “connected” with local water quality data so that they get an understanding of how their management practices impact locally.
“Compliance is important but ultimately we want people with an understanding of why things are people doing, rather than it being solely compliance,” he said.
Callanan stressed to the committee that it is up to “all stakeholders to work together to deliver on improving water quality nationally”.
“Factors that influence nutrient loss to water, be it nitrogen or phosphorous, include weather, soil type, topography and the overall nutrient load.
“However, how that load is managed is extremely important to reduce losses to the environment,” he added.
DAFM’s chief inspector also told the committee that “everybody shares the necessity and ambition of securing a derogation”.