Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 14 December 2023
59. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to provide an update regarding the work done by the agriculture water quality working group in relation to the nitrates directive; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55699/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn May of this year, I established the Agriculture Water Quality Working Group consisting of stakeholders and representatives across Ireland’s agri-food industry to work collaboratively and constructively across three objectives:
(1) to connect farmers and local water quality data;
(2) to improve compliance with and enforcement of current regulations and;
(3) to develop actions and measures for this year’s Nitrates Action Programme review that will support the objective of improved water quality.
The Working Group has met on ten occasions to date including a meeting with Commissioner Sinkevicius during his visit to Ireland on the 23rd of November.
In July, the Group participated in a workshop to scope out issues and actions to underpin the objectives listed with a view to improving water quality.
The Group has now been tasked with bringing forward proposals to improve water quality and strengthen Ireland’s case for a nitrates derogation post-2025.
At it's most recent meeting last week, the Group was presented with new research from Teagasc, which has the potential to give farmers a degree of flexibility in how it can manage the transition to lower derogation limits without impacting negatively on water quality.
At its upcoming meeting, the Group will further consider Teagasc’s research findings, the recommendations from the Nitrates Expert Group and the Group's own suggested measures for the Interim Review of the Nitrates Action Programme.
The views of the Agriculture Water Quality Working Group along with the Nitrates Expert Group's recommendations will inform my Department’s position on the measures being brought to the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage with a view to securing agreement on what actions should be brought forward for Appropriate Assessment of the Interim Review.
