In a further development today the Minister for Agriculture is to attend a special Friday sitting of the Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture at 9am tomorrow to discuss Ireland’s Water Quality and Nitrates Derogation.
The committee is chaired by Tipperary TD Jackie Cahill. Members of the Committee were in Brussels last week to meet with officials on Forestry and Land Restoration. Deputy Cahill says the committee is extremely disappointed that the Environment Commissioner took the decision to reduce from 250kg/hectare to 220kg per hectare.
Farmers were asked to implement a range of up to 31 different measures in order to qualify for the derogation and the TD says the Commission haven’t given these measures time to make an impact on water quality. The Oireachtas committee wants the European Commission to review the decision on this basis, to allow these actions time to see if they will have a positive impact.
The Minister is of the view that farmers should comply with the lower levels from January 2024, continue to work towards improved water quality and make a case for higher level of derogation for the next programme due to begin in 2026.
