Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 9 December 2021
55. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his plans to increase the use of low-emission slurry spreading technology as per the Climate Action Plan if TAMS grant aid is no longer permissible arising from the draft Nitrates Action Plan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [60632/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Department of Environment, Climate and Communications is responsible for Irish air quality.
The Department Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) provides support for farmers to purchase LESS equipment through the TAMS scheme and this has been very successful to date with one third of bovine livestock manure now applied by this method.
In order to increase the efficiency of use of slurry the use of this machinery will be made mandatory on a phased basis over the next number of years. Once a requirement is made mandatory, there remains a finite period of availability for grant aid.
In the updated National Air Pollution Control Programme (NAPCP) which was submitted to the EU Commission in March 2021 by DECC, a number of measures were outlined to bring about reductions in ammonia emissions and to ensure compliance with the NEC Directive targets as soon as possible.
In addition since the submission of the NAPCP, additional measures have been identified and included in the update to the Climate Action Plan 2021 which was published in November 2021. The full impact of all these measures on our current and projected ammonia emissions have not yet been incorporated,
