I propose to take Questions Nos. 822, 823 and 825 together.
The Nitrates Directive and Ireland's Nitrates Action Programme are given legal effect by the European Communities (Good Agricultural Practice for the Protection of Waters) Regulations 2010, commonly known as the GAP regulations. The objective of these regulations is to protect ground and surface waters, including drinking water sources, primarily through the management of livestock manures and other fertilisers.
Local authorities are the competent authorities for implementation of the GAP regulations and are also empowered under the Water Pollution Acts 1977 to 2007 to prevent or control pollution of waters. In fulfilling these roles, local authorities may request information, for example in the form of effluent management plans, to ensure the compliance of on-farm development proposals with the legislation.
It is incumbent on local authorities to ensure that all proposed agricultural developments comply with the Water Pollution Acts and the GAP regulations. There is no requirement under the Planning and Development Act 2000 or the associated Regulations in relation to the submission of an effluent management plan as part of a planning application. Planning authorities may, however, when considering a planning application seek such further information as they consider necessary to decide the application in question.
My Department has no role in this process and does not compile or keep data on the information sought by local authorities for this purpose. The principal role of the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine is to check compliance of farms with the GAP regulations.
Consistency of approach to the implementation of the GAP regulations is overseen by a working group consisting of representatives from my Department, the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, local authorities and the EPA.