Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 25 May 1999

Vol. 505 No. 3

Written Answers. - Rural Environment Protection Scheme.

Trevor Sargent

Question:

110 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if his attention has been drawn to the Environmental Protection Agency report showing that 30 per cent of rivers in Ireland are polluted and a substantial proportion of this pollution comes from nutrient phosphate from farms; the measures, if any, his Department will take to ensure that farmers are aware of the importance of better practice in relation to pollution from farms in view of these findings; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13760/99]

Minister for Agriculture and Food (Mr. Walsh)

A copy of the report referred to was furnished to my Department during the past week.

The recent Agenda 2000 agreement provides that member states may include minimum environmental conditions as a condition for the receipt of direct payments in respect of agricul tural production. While the detailed rules governing this measure have not yet been agreed it is likely that producers getting direct payments will have to follow good farming practice.

Some 43,000 farmers are currently participating in the rural environment protection scheme. Participation in REPS is regarded as going beyond good farming practice. In the recent revision of the REP specifications, the permitted phosphorous levels are clearly set out.

An evaluation of the REP scheme is currently being carried out and discussions have taken place with Environmental Protection Agency personnel in relation to this exercise.

The evaluation will be completed by the end of June and I will be asking my Department to examine carefully all aspects of the findings. In addition, a nationally funded control of farmyard pollution scheme is being introduced, for which I expect to receive EU Commission approval shortly.