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The Irish Farmers' Association (IFA) is urging the Government to deliver on its commitments by securing a renewal of Ireland’s nitrates derogation.
It comes after the Government published its 'Water and agriculture, a collaborative approach' plan on Tuesday morning, which also contains a proposal for a separate €90,000 nutrient storage ceiling, with a grant rate of 60%.
Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue announced other actions in the nitrates derogation renewal plan, including appointing 50 water quality advisers, a €60m innovation programme and a 70% nutrient importation scheme.
IFA environment chair John Murphy said it’s vital that the Government meet the targets it set out.
“The nitrates derogation is of massive economic and social benefit to the agriculture sector and the wider rural economy; that is why we cannot even countenance a situation where it is not renewed.”
Water quality
The document outlines that the Government will take a collaboration by all agri stakeholder partners to ensure an increase in water quality.
Former president of the Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association John Comer has been appointed as chair of the water quality working group.
Murphy added it’s imperative that the economic and environmental modelling proposed in the document is completed as a matter of urgency.
“This has to also include an assessment of the impact of Irish Water’s wastewater treatment plants on water quality.
“We know that there were hundreds of non-compliance incidents in these plants reported to the EPA last year. These must be stamped out as part of this whole-of-Government approach to fixing water quality.”
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