Taoiseach Leo Varadkar today (Wednesday, October 4) told the Dáil that “about 250 farms” will be able to continue to use 250kg nitrogen (N) per hectare following the publication of the Nitrates Derogation Map by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM).
According to the DAFM, there are approximately 7,000 farms who apply for derogation each year. The majority of these are dairy farmers and an estimated 3,000 are between 220kg and 250kg N/ha limit.
Sinn Féin president, Mary Lou McDonald, had raised the issue of nitrates derogation today in the Dáil with the Taoiseach during which she said the government’s handling of the issue had “caused a huge amount of anger and stress for farmers”.
Deputy McDonald said: “The issue originates in the government’s decision to sign up to a flawed review mechanism in the first place.
“As the Taoiseach will be aware, farmers acted on and implemented measures to improve water quality, but time has not been allowed to see the effect of those actions. Instead they feel the rug has been pulled from under them.”
She said following the publication of the final Nitrates Derogation Map by DAFM it was now “very real” for farmers.
EU Commissioner
Deputy McDonald challenged the Taoiseach on when the EU Commissioner for the Environment, Oceans and Fisheries, was going to come to Ireland “to reopen this matter”.
She also asked him “what exactly” he planned to say to the commissioner when they meet.
The Taoiseach told the Sinn Féin president that he does not have a date yet for the visit.
“The overarching priority for the government is to make sure that we hold on to the 220kg N/ha derogation.
“I believe that reducing this to 175kg/ha would inflict serious damage on farm incomes and on our food export sector, which is important to this society and economy as a whole.
“The decision is made in relation to 250kg N/ha but we have got some flexibility on that,” he added.
The Taoiseach also said that when he and the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Deputy Charlie McConalogue meet with the commissioner in Ireland they will “explore any other possible flexibility”.
But he stressed in the Dáil that he did not “want to raise false expectations as to what is possible and what is not”.