Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue should seek flexibility for farmers outside of nitrates ‘red zones’ identified by the EPA, Fine Gael spokesperson on Agriculture Tim Lombard has said.
Minister McConalogue must provide clarity to farmers on the issue of nitrates derogation, the Fine Gael Senator has said in a statement.
It comes amid mounting farmer concern after the Minister confirmed further restrictions to Ireland’s Nitrates Derogation will come into force next year.
“There is uncertainty around the next steps regarding our nitrogen derogation following comments made by Minister McConalogue over recent days where he said negotiations on changes to a nitrates derogation will not be reopened.
“The Minister’s comments were very definitive and are at odds with what myself and my Oireachtas colleagues from the Agriculture Committee were told at the meeting with Commissioner Virginijus Sinkevičius on Thursday evening last.
“It was a tough but good engagement, and the Commissioner was clear that there was still scope for engagement and that ‘flexibility is possible’.”
Ireland’s nitrates derogation provides farmers an opportunity to farm at higher stocking rates when they take extra steps to protect the environment.
The current derogation is due to expire on January 1 2026, and the derogation limit is due to reduce to 220kg per hectare on January 1 2024, due to environmental issues.
The EPA last month published a map detailing parts of the country where water quality is not improving. The EPA identified the majority of the country in so-called nitrates’ red zones’. However, some key dairy-producing regions were not included, particularly in Cork.
Senator Lombard, who is Cork based, said flexibility around areas requiring additional measures as defined by the EPA map versus the entire country was not ruled out by the Commissioner.
“Those of us present at the meeting were told, there is a possibility of flexibility, and this is what the Commissioner also told the Minister, and this is where we can still explore how to apply and where to exactly apply this flexibility’.
“Based on our meeting with the Commissioner, I believe there is scope for further engagement here, particularly for areas outside of the ‘red zones’ on the EPA map. The map is based on the criteria set out by the European Commission and clearly identifies areas which do not require additional measures.
“Having met with the Commissioner, I don’t understand Minister McConalogue’s reluctance to engage and explore any options or flexibility that would help Irish farmers,” he said.
Lombard highlighted that the Minister for Agriculture will attend a meeting of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and Marine on Friday morning to discuss Water Quality and Nitrates.
He said he hopes the Minister takes this opportunity to provide clarity, details of the pathway forward and his planned engagement with the EU Commission between now and September 30 to explore the options and flexibility within the framework that the Commissioner has indicated is there.
