Written Answers. - EU Directives.
Ruairí Quinn
Ceist:
166
Mr. Quinn
asked the
Minister for the Environment and Local Government
the progress to date with regard to the implementation of the 1992 nitrates directive; if it is intended to designate the entire country as a nitrate vulnerable zone; if it is intended to operate a geographical zone approach; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[2388/03]
Bernard Allen
Ceist:
404
Mr. Allen
asked the
Minister for the Environment and Local Government
the steps he is proposing to take to deal with the level of nitrates in public water supplies.
[2535/03]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 166 and 404 together.
The nitrates directive has been substantially implemented in Ireland by way of extensive monitoring of nitrate levels in waters, the assessment of the trophic status of waters, the development and dissemination in 1996 of a code of good agricultural practice to protect waters from pollution by nitrates and a range of other measures which operate to protect water quality from pollution by agricultural sources. These other measures include the provision of funding under schemes administered by the Department of Agriculture and Food, DAF, such as the control of farmyard pollution scheme, the rural environment protection scheme, and the farm waste management scheme to support expenditure by farmers on measures for pollution control and environmental protection. They also include by-laws made by local authorities under the Local Government (Water Pollution) Acts, a wide range of implementation and enforcement actions taken by local authorities under those Acts, the progressive extension of the integrated pollution control licensing system operated by the EPA to apply to a wider range of intensive agricultural activities, and the introduction of requirements for compliance with good farming practice in the context of agri-assistance schemes administered by DAF.
Extensive discussions with the main farming organisations and other interests have taken place since December 2001 and are continuing, as to the further implementation of the nitrates directive. In February 2002, my Department issued an information paper on good agricultural practice and protection of the environment which set out the background issues and the preferred approach of applying an action programme to all areas rather than to designated vulnerable zones. The paper was prepared in consultation with, and reflects the views of, DAF and Teagasc. A copy of the paper is in the Oireachtas Library.
The Government has indicated its position on further implementation of the nitrates directive in the context of recent discussions with the farming pillar for the development of a new partnership agreement. This will involve an action programme, including regulations, which will be applied in relation to the whole country and will provide statutory support for the application of established standards of good agricultural practice. This approach is the best option in the interests of environmental protection, equitable treatment between farmers and greater certainty for farmers to facilitate planning and investment decisions.
The action programme will include limits on the amount of organic nitrogen that may be applied to land. A general limit of 210 kg N per hectare will operate for the first four years as allowed by the directive. The Government will utilise the derogation provisions of the directive to seek approval of a derogation for nitrogen limits of up to 250 kg N per hectare per annum, by reference to evidence-based discussion with the European Commission regarding the impact of nitrates on water quality under Irish farming conditions. Suitable research programmes will be put in place, led by Teagasc, to enable Ireland to retain appropriate derogations. The directive allows for derogations which do not compromise its objectives and can be justified by reference to objective criteria such as long growing seasons, crops with high nitrogen uptake, or high net precipitation. In the absence of agreed derogations, the directive requires that a standard general limit of 170 kg N per hectare be applied.
Suitable monitoring programmes will be developed to assess the effectiveness of the action programme as to improvements in water quality and farm management, for example, provision of waste storage capacity, use of fertilisers, nutrient management planning. The detailed provisions of the action programme and related research and monitoring programmes will be finalised over the coming months in consultation with the main farming organisations and other interests, with a view to completion by end June 2003.
The most recent comprehensive data published on the quality of drinking water are contained in the EPA report on the quality of drinking water in Ireland for the year 2001. This report, which is available in the Oireachtas Library, indicates a compliance rate of 99.1% in drinking water supplies, public and private, in relation to the prescribed standards for nitrates.
