Mr. Bernard Harris:

I will respond to the first two points. It is planned and included as part of the proposals that a chemical fertiliser register will be developed for implementation from 1 January 2023. This is very much in the early stage of development, in that primary legislation needs to be developed and a system put in place. However, we will be working with industry and with all stakeholders, including farmers, to deliver this.

The Deputy asked about the nitrogen allowance. A 10% reduction is being proposed in the current submissions. Under the current technical table of the regulation, there will be a 10% reduction in the chemical allowance being proposed. This reduction is only applicable to grassland farms and is not being targeted at tillage farmers. Therefore, those allowances will not change for tillage rates.

Regarding the proposal for generating a green cover post harvest within seven days, we are reviewing the current submissions as part of the review. There are concerns whether that can be practically done within a very tight timeframe. We are considering all the options available to us.