Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 29 February 2024
252. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine about the recent meeting of the Agriculture Water Quality Group and his commitment to immediately implement the flexibilities on concentrate feed and the calf N allocation, which was previously committed to; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9878/24]
View answerLast October my Department requested Teagasc to undertake research and provide data regarding bovine nutrient excretion rates. This included consideration of the excretion rate as the young bovine animal grows and consideration of the impact reducing crude protein in concentrates fed to dairy cows will have on the cow's nutrient excretion rate.
Teagasc presented their work to the Agriculture Water Quality Working Group on the 5th of December 2023. At that meeting, Teagasc asked to finalise their work to reflect some clarifications sought by the Group.
To ensure the scientific validation of this work, the Teagasc papers were then submitted to University College Dublin (UCD) for expert peer review. This led to some further queries which Teagasc responded to and UCD provided their response to that within the last week.
At its various meetings since early December, the Agriculture Water Quality Working Group were kept up to date regarding the development of this research with the matter was most recently discussed by the Group today (29th of February).
As outlined to the Group, these changes are part of the Interim Review of the 5th Nitrates Action Programme which must go through the Appropriate Assessment process under the Habitats Directive.
Subject to the Appropriate Assessment process, including the outcome of the associated public consultation, and updating of the Good Agricultural Practice for the Protection of Waters Regulations (SI No. 113 of 2022, as amended), I propose to apply these updated bovine nutrient excretion rates when determining farmer compliance with nitrates limits at year end.
To allow farmers plan for the proposed changes under the Interim Review I intend to shortly write to farmers to signpost the proposals that are being subject to the Appropriate Assessment process.
