Paul Gogarty (Dublin Mid West, Green Party)
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Question 10: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food the views raised that pig and poultry farmers will be put out of business by the nitrates directive; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38452/05]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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The implementation of the nitrates directive is a matter in the first instance for the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government. Ireland's national action programme was formally submitted to the European Commission in July and regulations giving legal effect to it are being finalised following a consultation process.

Denis Naughten (Longford-Roscommon, Fine Gael)
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Can we take that as read?

Trevor Sargent (Dublin North, Green Party)
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I am listening to the answer.

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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We cannot take it as read. I am aware of concerns that have been expressed about the impact on the future of the pig and poultry sectors. Many farmers will have to adapt to the requirements of the nitrates directive and there will certainly be implications for pig and poultry farmers in particular because most of them do not have enough land of their own to spread the manure they produce. I am satisfied, however, that the great majority of these operators will be able to adapt successfully. To the extent that they may need additional waste storage, I have put proposals to the European Commission under which pig and poultry farmers will be eligible for the first time for grants under the farm waste management scheme. Grants of up to 70% will be available. I am also proposing grant aid for specialised equipment with specific environmental advantages, such as decanter centrifuge systems and dry feeding systems for pigs.

As far as spreadlands are concerned, I am acutely conscious of the need for pig farmers in particular to continue to have access to enough land to spread slurry. I have asked Teagasc to undertake a very active promotion campaign to demonstrate to other farmers the nutrient value of pig slurry and the savings that farmers can achieve by substituting it for chemical fertiliser. I will be urging REPS planners to encourage their clients to use pig manure on their farms and I will be seeking to ensure that the record-keeping and inspection regimes are kept to what is strictly necessary. I want to get rid of the mistaken idea that farmers who take in pig or poultry manure are more likely to fall foul of various rules and regulations than those who use chemical fertiliser.

There is much that farmers can do to help one another, and I call on farm organisations to play their part by substituting imported organic fertilisers such as pig slurry. It is in the interests of other farming sectors that provide feed for pigs, such as the tillage sector, to assist the intensive pig producers by considering the use of manure on their crops. Pig producers also need to be proactive in identifying and encouraging suitable recipients to take and utilise their manure. By our combined efforts I believe we can all ensure the continuation of a viable pig and poultry sector.

Trevor Sargent (Dublin North, Green Party)
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The issue has been partly dealt with but I will ask further questions. The Minister says that a certain amount has already taken place, such as 30,000 farmers having invested heavily in pollution control and a number in slurry storage, which is good. I use pigeon manure in my garden so I know how good it is when used in the right amounts.

Denis Naughten (Longford-Roscommon, Fine Gael)
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That will solve the problem.

Trevor Sargent (Dublin North, Green Party)
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In Kilkenny a number of farmers are working together in biogas production, which has led to a much reduced problem with the land-spreading of slurry. It is not just about storage or land-spread but innovating and creating a useful by-product at the same time. Does the Minister have anything more to offer, perhaps in conjunction with the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources, Deputy Dempsey, or the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Deputy Roche, so that an interdepartmental package can be put together to overcome the problem of complying with the nitrates directive, given that we are over 12 years behind the rest of Europe in that regard? I appreciate there is friction in the Minister's party on the implementation of the directive.

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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The Deputy is correct that we have studied innovative ways to deal with the issue. It should not necessarily be termed "Waste" but that is the official EU term.

Denis Naughten (Longford-Roscommon, Fine Gael)
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It is fertiliser.

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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It is an organic fertiliser that can be used for other purposes. That is why three weeks I ago I sought ten projects for the Department, for which I have provided €4 million this year. It may be necessary to do something beyond that and I am actively working with both of my colleagues on that matter.

The seriousness of the matter is such that I have consulted many eminent people, for example, from the University of Limerick, and have accepted suggestions for the poultry sector and for cross-Border solutions to the issue. I intend to ensure there is no adverse effect on farmers from the nitrates directive, though alternatives must be used. In many other countries farming methods are different and that creates a difficulty for us. In the roll-out of the directive and in signing off statutory instruments I will continue to further evaluate the situation and examine further avenues available to me to support them.

Seymour Crawford (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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I am certainly not one to indulge in scaremongering because I live in a community where reality is quickly dawning on the people concerned. Will the Minister assure us there will be a common-sense approach to managing the transitional period because switching to chemical fertiliser involves major changes for farmers? Many farmers say that after 1 February they will not take slurry or manure.

We have a serious cross-Border problem in that much poultry manure comes south to displace our poultry manure in mushroom units. The number of planning permissions granted has been increased for poultry production in Northern Ireland.

A senior official at the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government told us on the record of the Joint Committee on Agriculture and Food that he was not aware of the problem of poultry and pig farmers. I cannot understand where he has been in recent years. For a man negotiating in Brussels on our behalf to make that statement on the record at the Joint Committee on Agriculture and Food scares me. If the Minister thinks press releases from this side of the House are causing problems she need look no further than Department officials who still do not seem to understand how serious the position is for producers of pigs and poultry as well as extensive dairy production.

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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I reiterate that I am acutely aware of the issue and have been since the first day I was appointed.

Seymour Crawford (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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I appreciate that.

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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I have met regularly with the poultry sector North and South and will travel tomorrow morning for a meeting with representatives of the poultry sector in Limerick. I met the Monaghan people first. The pig sector is involved in the farm waste management scheme for the first time.

We are also dealing with others I have mentioned, such as grant aid for decanters. That will run in tandem with the alternatives and research that will address this matter, the nutrient content of feed and possible reductions.

We have been dealing with this for some time and it is my intention to deal with it to the best of my ability. People are starting to lose their reason on this issue and are putting pressure on Deputies on all sides, saying this will be a doomsday scenario. That is not the case and we are working to address it.

Seymour Crawford (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The former Minister says it is a doomsday scenario.

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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I do not agree. The onus will not be just on the pig producer but on the people involved in manufacturing. If they wish to remain in the pig and poultry industry, there will have to be a symbiotic relationship between both. Working together we can deal with this issue to the best of our ability.