Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 8 May 2018
495. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the Exchequer funding allocated to the nitrates action programme in each of the years 2018 to 2021; the 2018 funding allocation by current and capital funding; the number of full and part-time staff working directly on the programme in his Department; and the annual running costs, including staffing costs, for his Department in tabular form. [20175/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe European Union (Good Agricultural Practice for Protection of Waters) Regulations 2017, as amended, give legal effect in Ireland to the Nitrates Directive and to Ireland's fourth Nitrates Action Programme (NAP) for 2018 -2021 which was agreed with the European Commission in December 2017 after extensive negotiation.
Ireland's NAP contains enhanced measures for the protection of waters based on scientific research findings and a collaborative approach to improving our water quality. The NAP is designed to prevent pollution of surface waters and ground water from agricultural sources and to protect and improve water quality. Member states are required to review their NAP at least every four years.
A number of officials within the Water Division of my Department, in conjunction with officials from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, spent much of 2017 working on a review of the third NAP and on the development of the fourth programme, including negotiations with the European Commission. No Exchequer funding is allocated to the NAP by my Department and it is not possible to specify the portion of staffing costs directly attributable to NAP-related work given that it is one of a range of areas of activity focused on maintaining and improving water quality in Ireland.
