Michael Collins (Cork South-West, Independent Ireland Party)
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112. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will reconsider the nitrates stocking rate map and make an adjustment to the Timoleague catchment stocking rate (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25786/25]

Michael Collins (Cork South-West, Independent Ireland Party)
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The recent changes made to the nitrates stocking rate map need to be reconsidered. Lowering the stocking rate to 220 kg N/ha in additional areas in west Cork will have minimal, if any, impact on water quality. The Timoleague catchment has demonstrated nitrates concentration in water does not proportionally increase when the stocking rates increase. Will the Minister please reconsider the map and make adjustments? I sent the Minister a more detailed outline of this to which he might have an answer.

Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Deputy for raising this very important issue. I recently met farmers from Timoleague and I visited the area previously when I was a Member of the previous Government. I am well aware of the great work that has happened down there, supported by Teagasc and others, how passionate farmers are and the pressure there is on land availability and how any changes can have an impact.

I am very committed to the objective of improving water quality and ensuring the strongest possible scientific case can be made for a continuation of Ireland's nitrates derogation beyond the 1 January 2026. Those two things are connected.

Ireland implements a robust action programme of measures under our nitrates action plan. As part of the additional measures introduced under the interim review of the fifth nitrates action programme, with effect from this December, the maximum derogation stocking rate reduces to 220 kg organic N/ha in certain areas. The Timoleague catchment is one of the additional areas moving to this lower limit, as the Deputy highlighted. This change is happening in areas where the EPA has identified the need for nitrate reduction measures to improve water quality but that were not considered under the European Commission’s criteria for the two-year water quality review.

The measure becomes applicable from 1 December as it had to comply within the timeframe of the current nitrates action programme, which concludes at the end of 2025, so it was the latest point at which it could be brought in to count as a measure under this programme. This was necessary to best prepare for discussions with the Commission regarding Ireland’s next nitrates derogation. Within such a limited timeframe, the December date for implementation was selected to allow farmers in the Timoleague area, and indeed other areas affected, maximum time to prepare and manage their cows through the normal spring calving lactation cycle.

In simple terms, derogation farmers in these additional areas will have an effective limit of 247.5 kg N/ha this year, rather than 250 kg N/ha. I will give the rest of the information in my supplementary response.

Michael Collins (Cork South-West, Independent Ireland Party)
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I thank the Minister. This valuable catchment, which provides important research findings to the rest of the country through the agricultural catchment programme, will be subject to the stocking reduction of 220 kg N/ha from 1 December. This will make it impossible to decouple and quantify the impact of agricultural measures on water quality from a reduction in stocking rates.

In fact, critics of the sector will conveniently assume that any improvements in water quality from now on will be a consequence of a reduced stocking rate limit and ignore all the good work farmers have implemented over the years, which is now delivering.

SI 42 of 2025 states clearly that it is within the Minister's gift to determine what areas should be reduced to 220 kg N/ha. Following the interim review of the current and fifth NAP on the grounds of providing valuable scientific research, the Timoleague catchment needs to remain at the stocking rate of 250 kg N/ha. Will the Minister please reconsider the map and make adjustments?

Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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I absolutely recognise the great work happening in the agricultural catchment programme. The most recently published EPA data shows nitrates concentrations nationally have reduced in a representative sample of our rivers last year. It is acknowledged and welcomed that nitrate levels have also reduced in the Timoleague catchment. Nitrates levels recorded in 2024 in Timoleague were at their lowest level since recording began in 2009. However, the nitrates concentrations in the river leaving the Timoleague catchment are still approximately double what they should be to achieve good ecological status in the adjoining estuary. This is why the catchment was identified by the EPA as an area requiring a nitrate reduction measure.

As committed to in the programme for Government, the Government is doing everything in its power to make the case at EU level to secure our next nitrates derogation, given our unique grass-based production system. Access to the derogation is contingent on improving water quality. The agrifood sector is engaging in significant, unprecedented and very welcome actions to reduce its impact on water quality. It is critical this good work continues and that it supports Ireland’s case and my case to retain the nitrates derogation post 2025, which is something I am actively working on and is of utmost importance to the Deputy's constituents and derogation farmers throughout the country.

Michael Collins (Cork South-West, Independent Ireland Party)
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I thank the Minister. I know he said he met the farmers in Timoleague. I think the Taoiseach has met them and the previous Taoiseach met them. The farmers there are doing everything and their utmost, and farmers who pull out all the stops need to be rewarded. It is within the Minister's remit to make changes here and make sure they do not end up in a situation where they are down to 220 kg N/ha on 1 December. It would set a good example to the dairy sector and for farmers who are making such severe efforts to put things right that they are rewarded for doing so. It looks to me as if we are not going to reward these farmers for doing so and we are going to tick the box putting them in the same category as those who did not make an effort.

Will the Minister make sure in the next few months that this stocking rate stays at 250 kg N/ha in the Timoleague catchment area to reward the farmers who have worked hard to put things right? They will continue to work hard if that reward is given to them, and I would appreciate it if the Minister would announce that here today.

Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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I appreciate the Deputy's articulation of the concerns, the great work of his constituents and the frustration I know there is on the ground with this change. He talked about rewarding his constituents. The best reward I can get his constituents and the farmers in the Timoleague catchment area is to make sure there is a derogation beyond the end of this year, and that is not by any means guaranteed. In a way, I am a little bit concerned that there is complacency coming in around the country where people think we will have to get it. We know how important it is. This is absolutely critical for our rural economy, not just for the 7,000 derogation farmers. For a tillage farmer or some other farmer besides a derogation farmer, the impact on land availability if the derogation is gone or is reduced further will be really significant. We have a very strong story to tell because our farmers are making great efforts to maintain that derogation. That said, I cannot leave any weak spot in our case. It is my top priority in Europe to get a derogation beyond the end of this year. I have to implement all the measures we committed to in the previous action programmes, and this is a key part of that. It has been designed to have a minimal impact on the Deputy's constituents for this year, but the biggest reward I can get them is a derogation beyond the end of this year.