Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Wednesday, 24 November 2021

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine

Nitrates Action Programme: Discussion (Resumed)

Photo of Charlie McConalogueCharlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I must check the detail on this but my recollection is that there is a restriction in CAP on who can be funded from TAMS. I think it has to be farmers but I will check that. There has been a massive and welcome uptake in the past three or four years of low emission slurry spreading under TAMS. About €100 million has been spent on it through the Department through the TAMS grant. There are about 3,000 low emission slurry spreading machines in the country now. There is great capacity there and it makes great sense. It is a win-win in terms of the efficiency of the slurry being spread. It costs farmers less. When they use this approach they get far more benefit out of the fertiliser and it significantly reduces emissions. It means about 15% of all slurry is spread using less equipment and that has resulted in a reduction in ammonia emissions of 7%. It is something that we need to drive on because it can really make a big difference.

Comments

No comments

Log in or join to post a public comment.