Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy. As he knows, this is an issue on which I have been working for a significant period. The derogation is massively important to our dairy sector and is particularly important to many Cork farmers, given the strength of the dairy sector there. The Taoiseach and I invited the Commissioner to come to Ireland to fully assess the great work that farmers are doing. He came last Thursday and met all the key farming stakeholders. He was once again clear, as he has been since my meeting with him in early September, that it is not possible to change the derogation we have. That means a number of farmers have to drop to 220 kg N/ha this coming January. A massive effort is now required of all of us to ensure we hold to that derogation and ensure it is renewed. I will work in every way possible to support farmers to do that. In the recent budget, I announced up to 70% grant aid for storage facilities to aid the transfer of slurry. I also announced a separate ceiling under TAMS grant aid for farmers to increase slurry storage.

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