Vol. 510 No. 3
68 Mr. Deasy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development his views on the fears of environmentalists regarding increasing levels of water pollution through the use of nitrates and phosphates at a time when their use is supposed to be considerably reduced under the terms of the REP scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22471/99]
It is mandatory for participants in the rural environment protection scheme to follow a nutrient management plan on the entire area of the holding. The measure identifies pollution control facilities on the farm, determining whether they are adequate and specifying additional facilities if required. The measure aims to promote efficient use of nutrients in an environmentally friendly manner, to balance nutrients available and required on the farm and sets limits on application rates. The mean level of chemical nitrogen applied per livestock unit on REP scheme farms in 1997 was 17 per cent lower than in 1994 and usage of chemical phosphorous reduced by 23 per cent.
The evaluation report on the REP scheme submitted to the European Commission in July 1999 found that nutrient management plans are contributing significantly to the REP scheme objective of reducing agriculture's contribution to the environmental problems of nutrification.
