Ireland has secured the continued availability of the Nitrates Derogation, Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon TD, announced today, December 9.
This follows a positive vote in favour of Ireland’s request for a Nitrates Derogation at today’s meeting of the Nitrates Committee in Brussels. Speaking after the vote in Brussels, Minister Heydon said: “Securing continued availability of the Nitrate’s derogation has been a key priority for me as Minister and indeed for the whole of Government.
“Significant work has been undertaken since we notified the Nitrates Committee of our request for continued access to the facility over a year ago. Ireland’s request is based on the scientific criteria as provided for in the directive and which align with Ireland’s grass based, outdoor production model. Today’s vote marks the success of that part of the process. We now begin the next stage, commencing the work of addressing the key conditionality within the derogation decision.”
“This is a significant body of work, something we had to commit to as part of securing a derogation and I have consistently identified the need for time and space to ensure a thorough, comprehensive approach to this task. Over the coming three years, my Department will engage with stakeholders as we deliver this work,” Minister Heydon added.
This conditionality forms the basis under which Ireland must operate its derogation, including the need to demonstrate enhanced compliance with the Habitats Directive along with several additional requirements from 2028 for derogation farmers in Ireland’s four catchments with the greatest gap to target in terms of nitrogen load reduction. Further details of these additional requirements are available to read on the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine’s webpage.
Finally, the Minister welcomed the three-year decision, something that will give farmers certainty, concluding: “I will continue to work with farmers on this journey and on the task of improving water quality and ensuring continued availability of the derogation beyond the current decision. This must be our priority now as we chart our way forward.”
More from Teagasc Daily: Sixth Nitrates Action Programme published