Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has told the Dáil that his “biggest concern for Irish farmers and our food industry is the possibility that we will lose the derogation altogether in 2025”.
The Taoiseach told TDs that while he was “disappointed that we were not able to hold onto the 250kg limit” in certain areas, and that his “big concern” is the possibility of Ireland losing its nitrates derogation altogether.
He told the Dáil: “If we lose it, we will be doing a big disservice to Irish farmers, farm incomes and our wider food industry.
“The worst thing we can do for farmers is to tell them that this problem is going to go away because it is not.
“We have to work together to improve our water quality. That means changes being made on farms. It also means improving Uisce Éireann’s infrastructure and doing lots of other things.”
According to the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) any area that failed the Environment Protection Agency’s review of water quality in 2023 – as required under the nitrates derogation – “is obliged to move to a reduced derogation limit of 2202kg nitrogen (N) per hectare from January 2024”.
Based on figures supplied by 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 the 220kg and 250kg N/ha limit.
The Taoiseach highlighted in the Dáil this week that the Netherlands has “already lost” its derogation.
“It is already gone in Flanders. Only Ireland and Denmark continue to have the derogation.
“The way we keep the derogation we have, is to improve our water quality and that means the government and farmers working together to make sure that happens,” he added
According to the Independent TD, Danny Healy-Rae, the reduction in the nitrates derogation will mean that “farmers will have reduced incomes, and smaller farmers will become unviable”.
Deputy Healy-Rae told the Dáil: “The nitrates derogation reduction becomes a reality from December 31, changing from 250 kg N/ha to 220 kg N/ha.
“This means we will have to slaughter 40,000 heavily-in-calf cows this coming year because there is no other market for them, and 160,000 in the next four years.
“This is the first time in history the farmers of Ireland have been compelled to cull their cows.”