Carol Nolan (Laois-Offaly, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister. I see little point in being deliberately adversarial on this point. I acknowledge the Minister has agreed with the European Commission to an interim review of the nitrates action programme 2023. This still means we would default to a maximum limit under the derogation, as the Minister pointed out, of 220 kg, and that is down from 250 kg, from January 2024. We know from the research conducted by Teagasc that one of the reasons Ireland's nitrates derogation is in the firing line is because of recent declines in water quality. That makes it more difficult to secure future derogations. As the IFA and others have pointed out, this interim review will only be based on comparing water quality between 2021 and 2022. I have met the IFA and discussed this very point. Will the Minister accept this is flawed, since measures coming into place in 2022 and 2023 will not have had a chance to improve water quality? Clearly there is a recognition that farmers need additional time. The Minister mentioned a working group. Will he support the IFA and other farming organisations in seeking a review from the Commission to revisit this? We need to give them more flexibility and more time.

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