The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Charlie McConalogue will discuss the nitrates derogation and water quality with members of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture this morning (Friday, September 15).
From January 1, large swathes of the country will see the upper limit of the derogation cut from 250kg of organic nitrogen (N) per hectare to 220kgN/ha.
This was confirmed last week when Minister McConalogue said that the European Commission had ruled out any possibility of revising any part of the regulations attached to Ireland’s derogation.
Nitrates derogation
Ahead of this morning’s meeting, which begins at 9:00a.m, Committee Cathaoirleach, Deputy Jackie Cahill said that the committee welcomed the opportunity to discuss the issue with Minister McConalogue.
“Members of this committee, myself included, were in Brussels last week where we met with officials on forestry and land restoration.
“We were extremely disappointed that the [EU] Environment Commissioner took the decision to reduce from 250kgN/ha to 220kgN/ha.
“Farmers, because of last year’s awarding of the derogation, took 31 different measures in order to qualify for the derogation.
“It is extremely disappointing that the commission haven’t given these various and detailed conditions in relation to the nitrates derogation time to make an impact on water quality,” he said.
Deputy Cahill said that this is what farmers are failing to understand in relation to this decision.
“There were very extensive conditions attached to the derogation last year to ensure water quality is protected and improved, but these conditions have not been given time to set in and see their impacts.
“The committee is of the view that the commission should review the decision on this basis, to allow these actions time to see if they will have a positive impact.
“We will be urging the minister to take this into account during his discussion with the commission and we hope that the huge efforts undertaken in relation to water quality by Irish farmers will be recognised by the commission, so that our 250kg derogation could be reinstated,” the Fianna Fáil TD for Tipperary added.
This decision to reduce the derogation limit has angered farm organisations who have pointed to the impact on the dairy sector in particular.
The Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) will hold a protest outside the Fine Gael party think-in at the Strand Hotel in Limerick today.
Earlier this week, hundreds of members of the association picketed the Fianna Fáil think-in which was held in Co. Tipperary.