Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 20 April 2023
137. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when he will revisit the Nitrates Derogation Condition in accordance with the agreement reached with the European Commission to hold an interim review of the Nitrates Action Programme in 2023; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18534/23]
View answerThe Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (DHLGH) is the lead authority for the Nitrates Regulations and the associated interim review of the 5th Nitrates Action Programme (NAP). My Department works very closely with DHLGH in this regard.
The interim review of the 2022-2025 NAP will take place in the coming months. The purpose of that review is to undertake an assessment of the effectiveness of the current Nitrates Action Programme measures and to introduce any new measures that may be needed to reflect recent water quality data, significant changes to the agricultural sector and/or any other data considered relevant.
In light of negative trends in Irish water quality during the run-up to Ireland’s application for the current Nitrates Derogation, additional conditionality was included as part of the Commission’s decision to grant the derogation. This Conditionality included the requirement to conduct a two-year review of water quality, this year. This review must compare water quality data for 2021 and 2022. Where this data shows that there are polluted waters or waters at risk of pollution that are not showing signs of improvement, or where worsening trends have occurred over this period, the maximum stocking rate limit for derogation farms must be reduced from 250kg to 220kg livestock manure nitrogen per hectare from 2024 onwards. The Environment Protection Agency is currently working to provide the water quality data that will be used in this review.
As part of the current NAP the scope of some existing measures was broadened, other measures were expanded and a number of new measures were introduced to drive improvements in water quality.
In addition to working on the interim review, I have asked my officials to engage further with the European Commission with the objective of seeking flexibility from them on the two-year water quality review with a view to giving existing measures more time to demonstrate their impact.
However, there is no guarantee that there will be a change to the Commission's Implementing Decision as it stands.
I will do all in my power to protect and secure the Nitrates Derogation in the long term.
