Representatives from An Taisce will appear before the Oireachtas agriculture committee to discuss compliance with the nitrates directive today (Wednesday, February 21).
Today’s meeting of the Joint Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine is the second in a series of committee meetings to discuss Ireland’s nitrates derogation.
Following the series of meetings, the committee will compile a report and send it to the European Commission to make a case for Ireland maintaining the derogation.
The committee meeting from 5.30p.m in committee room two of Leinster House today will also hear from representatives from Coastwatch and Birdwatch Ireland.
Nitrates compliance
The first meeting discussing the compliance with the nitrates directive and its implications for Ireland took place last week and heard from three farm organisations.
Losing the derogation could result in an economic impact of over €1 billion annually, the president of the Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA), Francie Gorman said last week.
The potential economic impacts for the agriculture sector and the rural economy, as well as the issue of slurry storage and the assessment of water quality were discussed.
The president of the Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers’ Association (ICMSA), Denis Drennan said that the planning permission system for slurry storage is “completely clogged”.
Drennan told the committee that there is currently a situation where “anybody and everybody” is in a position in which they can object planning permission for slurry storage.
Agriculture committee
The committee will also begin pre-legislative scrutiny of the general scheme of the Agriculture Appeals (Amendment) Bill 2024 in a meeting tomorrow (Thursday, February 22).
The legislation drafted by government will allow for the establishment of the Agricultural Appeals Review Panel.
The panel may revise any decision of an appeals officer or any revised decision made by an appeals officer if it appears that the decision was erroneous.
The bill will be discussed by the IFA, ICMSA, the Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers’ Association (ICSA) and the Irish Natural and Hill Farmers’ Association (INHFA).