Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Wednesday, 21 February 2024

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine

Compliance with the Nitrates Directive and Implications for Ireland: Discussion (Resumed)

Photo of Claire KerraneClaire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Yes. We cannot wait for that. Coastwatch referred to a good proposal that was raised by, I think, Macra na Feirme, whose representatives were before us last week to discuss these issues. I refer to farmers' ability to assess for themselves water quality and, again, the importance of a case-by-case approach, every farmer being different and all that. The simple field nitrate tests were mentioned, as was the importance of real-time data for farmers. Once they know what the levels are, they can take steps to try to resolve this, reduce it and make it better. Will the witnesses give us a bit more information on how that test would be undertaken for, say, an ordinary farmer and what they would need to do? What is the cost? How would the witnesses see this being rolled out and made available to farmers? They would do it themselves, I presume.

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