Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 13 July 2023
37. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to provide an update on the nitrates derogation and recent discussions regarding the proposed changes to the current levels which are in place; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34491/23]
View answerLast year Ireland secured a Nitrates Derogation covering the period 2022-2025. In granting that derogation, the European Commission attached increased conditionality, including a requirement to conduct a two-year water quality review.
The EPA's recently published report for this review shows that based on the Commission's conditionality, significant areas of the county will see their maximum organic nitrogen usage reduce from 250 kg to 220 kg of livestock manure nitrogen per hectare from January 2024.
Since Spring 2022, my Department has engaged with stakeholders on this matter. My Department has communicated the need for Ireland to show significant improvements in water quality if we are to maintain our nitrates derogation in the long-term.
The Government fully recognises farmers have made significant efforts to address water quality in recent years, however these changes will take time before their full impact on water quality becomes evident.
The challenge is that the level of nutrients in many of our waters remains too high as evidenced by reports from the Environment Protection Agency. This is increasingly relevant to discussions with the European Commission, as Ireland is very unlikely to meet its 2027 Water Framework Directive target of having all waterbodies in at least good ecological status, with only some minor exceptions being permitted. Most, if not all, other EU Member States will be in a similar situation. However very few of them are availing of a nitrates derogation.
The European Commission is not obliged to grant any Member State a nitrates derogation and to do so they must be assured that derogation will not compromise achievement of the Nitrates Directive’s objectives of reducing and preventing water pollution caused by agriculture.
Ireland is currently one of just three EU Member States in receipt of a nitrates derogation. The other two Member States are The Netherlands, and Denmark.
The likely scenario is that post-2025, Ireland will be one of at most two Member States seeking, or in receipt of, a nitrates derogation.
In March I committed to engaging with the European Commission to seek flexibility regarding their conditionality around the two-year water quality review. This engagement has taken place and will continue, however there is no guarantee that the Commission will agree to re-opening its decision.
I remain committed to working with farmers to improve water quality so Ireland can retain the maximum stocking rate possible.
