At present, there are two very important Government consultations open to the public – nitrates and carbon farming.
All members of the public have the opportunity to contribute to this consultation with their thoughts.
Farmers are directly impacted by these consultations and so should participate in them by sharing their practical knowledge and thoughts on the current proposals – positive or negative.
Many farmers may say they believe no one will listen to them. But in reality, if they submit a consultation, the departments in charge have to listen to them and register their submission.
Members of the farming sector always claim that rules are being made by people who do not understand what happens on the ground.
These consultations provide an opportunity to explain to the rule makers what happens on farms and what the consequences of these rules are.
Some will say my farm organisation will make a submission. Some will, some won’t. In the case of the nitrates consultation, most farm organisations will but farm organisations do not always make a submission.
For example, the IFA was the only farm organisation to make a submission to the consultation on the Noxious Weeds Act.
If your farm organisation does make a submission, you may not necessarily agree with that submission or may have something else to add, and so you should make your own submission.
Submissions do not need to be complicated, long-winded or technical.
You can place your own words in an email or in a letter. By all means, if you have other information to include, do.
An example could be: I have seen a decline in the activity of farmland birds on my farm since increasing stubble cultivation to comply with nitrates rules and welcome its removal from the sixth nitrates action plan or you might say you disagree with the removal of the rule.
You may have bird count numbers to back it up, which you could include.
You may be concerned about reaching deadlines on slurry storage or you may be concerned that there is not enough slurry storage in the country, that planning permission is slow to be approved or not being approved. Whatever you think, you can have your voice heard by submitting to the consultation.
Will other people see what I sent in?
All submissions will be published on the consultation’s web page after it has closed and they have been examined.
Representative groups will be named, but individuals will be listed as “private individual”.
However, the consultation information does say: “All submissions and comments submitted to the Department for this purpose are subject to release under the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act 2014 and the European Communities (Access to Information on the Environment) Regulations 2007-2014. Submissions are also subject to Data Protection
legislation.
“Personal, confidential or commercially sensitive information should not be included in your submission (other than your name or contact details).
“It will be presumed that all information contained in your submission is releasable under the Freedom of Information Act 2014.”
Members of the public will not be able to get your contact information.
The Department of Housing and Local Government which is in charge of the nitrates consultation states on the consultation’s webpage that: “The minister is inviting members of the public to make submissions, observations and comments on the draft sixth nitrates action programme during the period from 28 October 2025 to 5pm 1 December 2025.”
It also states: “The information provided by respondents will be used in order to refine and finalise the sixth nitrates action programme.”
So, the minister wants farmers and members of the public to submit to the consultation and help to inform regulations.
The nitrates action
programme consultation
You can view the full sixth nitrates action programme by clicking here.
Submissions on the plan can be made by email or by post and the last date for submissions is 5pm on 1 December 2025. You should label the envelope or email – Nitrates Consultation and email to: WAUConsultation@housing.gov.ie. Or post to:
Nitrates Consultation,
Water Advisory Unit,
Department of Housing, Local
Government and Heritage,
Custom House,
Dublin 1,
D01 W6X0
The consultation on carbon farming by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine is also underway and is open until 5pm on 30 November 2025. You can view the consultation documents by clicking here.
You can email your submission labelled ‘Consultation on Carbon Farming’ to: carbonfarming@agriculture.gov.ie or send your submission by post to:
Consultation on Carbon Farming,
Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Climate Change & Bio-Energy Policy Division,
Old Knockmay Road,
Portlaoise,
Co Laois, R32 YK81
Consultation on the setting of Northern Ireland’s fourth carbon budget (2038-2042)
The consultation on Northern Ireland’s carbon budget is underway and closes on 17 November at 11.59pm. The consultation is run by the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs. You can view details by clicking here.
All submissions should be labelled ‘Consultation on the setting of Northern Ireland’s Fourth Carbon Budget (2038-2042)’. You can respond to the consultation online at the link provided in the QR codes, by email to: ClimateChangeDiscussion@daera-ni.gov.uk or by post to:
Fourth Carbon Budget Consultation,
Climate Change and Legislation Policy Division,
Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs,
1st Floor, Clare House
303 Airport Road West,
Belfast, BT3 9ED
At present, there are two very important Government consultations open to the public – nitrates and carbon farming.
All members of the public have the opportunity to contribute to this consultation with their thoughts.
Farmers are directly impacted by these consultations and so should participate in them by sharing their practical knowledge and thoughts on the current proposals – positive or negative.
Many farmers may say they believe no one will listen to them. But in reality, if they submit a consultation, the departments in charge have to listen to them and register their submission.
Members of the farming sector always claim that rules are being made by people who do not understand what happens on the ground.
These consultations provide an opportunity to explain to the rule makers what happens on farms and what the consequences of these rules are.
Some will say my farm organisation will make a submission. Some will, some won’t. In the case of the nitrates consultation, most farm organisations will but farm organisations do not always make a submission.
For example, the IFA was the only farm organisation to make a submission to the consultation on the Noxious Weeds Act.
If your farm organisation does make a submission, you may not necessarily agree with that submission or may have something else to add, and so you should make your own submission.
Submissions do not need to be complicated, long-winded or technical.
You can place your own words in an email or in a letter. By all means, if you have other information to include, do.
An example could be: I have seen a decline in the activity of farmland birds on my farm since increasing stubble cultivation to comply with nitrates rules and welcome its removal from the sixth nitrates action plan or you might say you disagree with the removal of the rule.
You may have bird count numbers to back it up, which you could include.
You may be concerned about reaching deadlines on slurry storage or you may be concerned that there is not enough slurry storage in the country, that planning permission is slow to be approved or not being approved. Whatever you think, you can have your voice heard by submitting to the consultation.
Will other people see what I sent in?
All submissions will be published on the consultation’s web page after it has closed and they have been examined.
Representative groups will be named, but individuals will be listed as “private individual”.
However, the consultation information does say: “All submissions and comments submitted to the Department for this purpose are subject to release under the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act 2014 and the European Communities (Access to Information on the Environment) Regulations 2007-2014. Submissions are also subject to Data Protection
legislation.
“Personal, confidential or commercially sensitive information should not be included in your submission (other than your name or contact details).
“It will be presumed that all information contained in your submission is releasable under the Freedom of Information Act 2014.”
Members of the public will not be able to get your contact information.
The Department of Housing and Local Government which is in charge of the nitrates consultation states on the consultation’s webpage that: “The minister is inviting members of the public to make submissions, observations and comments on the draft sixth nitrates action programme during the period from 28 October 2025 to 5pm 1 December 2025.”
It also states: “The information provided by respondents will be used in order to refine and finalise the sixth nitrates action programme.”
So, the minister wants farmers and members of the public to submit to the consultation and help to inform regulations.
The nitrates action
programme consultation
You can view the full sixth nitrates action programme by clicking here.
Submissions on the plan can be made by email or by post and the last date for submissions is 5pm on 1 December 2025. You should label the envelope or email – Nitrates Consultation and email to: WAUConsultation@housing.gov.ie. Or post to:
Nitrates Consultation,
Water Advisory Unit,
Department of Housing, Local
Government and Heritage,
Custom House,
Dublin 1,
D01 W6X0
The consultation on carbon farming by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine is also underway and is open until 5pm on 30 November 2025. You can view the consultation documents by clicking here.
You can email your submission labelled ‘Consultation on Carbon Farming’ to: carbonfarming@agriculture.gov.ie or send your submission by post to:
Consultation on Carbon Farming,
Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Climate Change & Bio-Energy Policy Division,
Old Knockmay Road,
Portlaoise,
Co Laois, R32 YK81
Consultation on the setting of Northern Ireland’s fourth carbon budget (2038-2042)
The consultation on Northern Ireland’s carbon budget is underway and closes on 17 November at 11.59pm. The consultation is run by the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs. You can view details by clicking here.
All submissions should be labelled ‘Consultation on the setting of Northern Ireland’s Fourth Carbon Budget (2038-2042)’. You can respond to the consultation online at the link provided in the QR codes, by email to: ClimateChangeDiscussion@daera-ni.gov.uk or by post to:
Fourth Carbon Budget Consultation,
Climate Change and Legislation Policy Division,
Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs,
1st Floor, Clare House
303 Airport Road West,
Belfast, BT3 9ED
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