Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)

The Government is seeking an extension of the nitrates derogation. It is a critical element of the economic sustainability of many farmers, many family farms and the broader rural economy. However, we have established a water quality Cabinet subcommittee. There will be a new nitrates action plan and a new plan on habitats and so forth. We are different from other countries in Europe. Our farm system is unique in being a pasture-based outdoor system, with cows based outside 240 days per year on average. That is in contrast with other EU countries that have an intensive indoor system, with cattle not being outdoors very often.

It is a priority of the Government to secure a nitrates derogation but to do so in a way that will enable Ireland to meet its obligations on water quality. Farming has improved significantly and a lot of new measures have been adopted by the farming community in respect of climate change more generally and in terms of water quality. Many farmers do a lot of work in terms of assessment and measuring. I have been on farms and in catchment areas where water quality is measured every ten minutes. Many people operating under the derogation have more sophisticated systems in place to try to monitor their water quality.

Ireland is strong in food production and we need to move in a direction that brings people with us but also enables us to comply with the various water quality frameworks and directives and to do so in a way that maintains a sustainable food production system, and dairy system in particular. I have discussed this with the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen. The EU Commissioner for the environment, Jessika Roswall, visited Ireland on 4 November to witness first hand our grass-based system and the importance of our derogation. The Minister, Deputy Heydon, attended and engaged with the Commissioner. There has been a lot of stakeholder engagement with the Government and Departments in respect of this. Farmers are doing a lot to reduce agriculture's impact on water quality and will be doing more. They will have to do more in that regard.

We are looking a more detailed programme to enable all this to happen. This work is continuing. There is continuing engagement between the Government, the European Union and the Commission about this issue-----

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