New cabinet committee on water quality will ‘help Kilkenny farmers’ - election candidates

Plans to establish a new cabinet committee on water quality represents Fine Gael’s absolute commitment to retaining the nitrates derogation, say two of the party’s candidates in the upcoming general election.

Kilkenny County Councillor Michael Doyle and Tipperary County Councillor Dr Phyll Bugler, are standing at opposite ends of the Carlow/ Kilkenny constituency.

An Taoiseach Simon Harris’ plans for a new committee focused on water quality represents the best possible chance of retaining Ireland’s nitrates derogation, they agree.

“The nitrates derogation is an asset on which farmers across Carlow/ Kilkenny depend,” Cllr Doyle said.

“Ireland has a unique grass-based livestock production system with over 92% of our agricultural land under grassland.

“The loss of the derogation would have significant negative impacts not only for the farmers directly affected in Carlow/ Kilkenny but also the wider agriculture sector and our rural economy.

Cllr Bugler added: “An Taoiseach Simon Harris has announced plans to establish a new cabinet committee on water quality, to drive improvements directly from the Department of the Taoiseach and steer a national effort to retain the derogation.

“This will bring representatives from Government departments, Irish Water, local authorities, the EPA and others around the table to ensure no one is passing the buck, and no one is working in a silo.”

Acknowledging that farmers across the counties of Carlow and Kilkenny are doing their bit to improve water quality, the councillors gave a commitment that “Fine Gael in Government will support them in those efforts.”

EU Regulations
The Nitrates Derogation allows farmers to exceed the limit of 170 kg of livestock manure nitrogen per hectare set down in the Nitrates Regulations, up to a maximum of 220 kg or 250 kg per hectare, subject to adherence to stricter rules.

The European Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2022/696 granting Ireland’s current nitrates derogation, required Ireland to undertake a two-year review of water quality in 2023.
Certain areas that met the criteria as set down by the EU decision are obliged to move to a reduced derogation limit of 220 kg N/ha from January 2024.

For a nitrates derogation application to be valid, all terms and conditions of the derogation must be adhered to.
Derogation information, including terms and conditions, is available on the department’s website at: www.gov.ie/nitrates.