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:

I will come in to clarify a few points if I may. The Deputy raised the question of targeting the farming for water EIP. We are targeting the areas at risk. There is already a backlog of 8,000 farms that have been referred through the ASSAP. That is the first cohort of farmers. We need a catchment-based approach. It is not just the derogation farmers who need to improve compliance; every farmer and every activity within that catchment needs to be addressed. That is what will help to protect the derogation. As representatives from the Department said, if we can reach the targets there, I am sure they will not be found wanting for additional resources. That is our focus. We have nearly half of our team in the farming for water EIP in place. We have started the pilots. We have work done on the ground with Teagasc and our partners in the dairy industry. We are ambitious to achieve those targets, but it will require the efforts of all the partners, the industry and the farm organisations to back it, come behind it and encourage farmers to take up this funding that is there. That is just-----