Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Wednesday, 20 March 2024

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine

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

Mr. Anthony Coleman:

Straight away, we are already receiving applications. I referred to a number of pilots we already have in County Kerry, and we are working with Dairygold and Tirlán in the Slane area. Applications are already in progress. We are expanding that programme and putting new systems in place, but we want to get grants paid out in respect of those applications to farmers as soon as they put in measures and reach the target of 15,000 farmers as early as possible. It is set out over a number of years, but if we can get more applications in at an earlier stage, that would be a good problem. I will ask Ms Hennessy to expand a little further on the process, where some of the measures will be going, and what work will be required on the ground.