Vol. 502 No. 1
152 Mr. Timmins asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government the guidelines, if any, his Department has to deal with the spreading of slurry; and if these define a time in the year when slurry can be spread. [7422/99]
The Code of Good Agricultural Practice to Protect Waters from Pollution by Nitrates, July 1996, contains wide-ranging advice and recommendations in relation to farm management practices, including the spreading of slurry. It recommends that the landspreading of slurry should be carried out as early as practicable in the growing season to maximise the uptake of nutrients by crops and minimise pollution risks. As a general practice, it also recommends that applications to land should be avoided during the non-growing season which varies throughout the country, depending on local climatic conditions, between the months of October and February. These recommendations are qualified by additional advice relating to weather and ground conditions which impact on suitability for slurry spreading.
The code was jointly produced by my Department and the Department of Agriculture and Food on foot of obligations arising under Council Directive 91/676/EEC concerning the protection of waters against pollution caused by nitrates from agricultural sources. The advice and recommendations in the code have been promoted extensively by local authorities, the farm advisory services of the Department of Agriculture and Food, and Teagasc.
