Colm Burke (Cork North Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I am here on behalf of the Minister for housing. I thank Senator Lombard for raising the issue of the work being carried out by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage in conjunction with the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine to secure the renewal of Ireland's nitrates derogation from 1 January 2026. The Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage is responsible for the nitrates directive and the nitrates action programme, NAP. The purpose of the NAP is to prevent pollution of surface waters and groundwater from agricultural sources and to protect and improve water quality. In developing these measures, officials from the Department work closely with officials in the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine. The fifth NAP runs from 2022 to 2025 and, under this programme, Ireland was granted a derogation that enables certain farmers, upon application to the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, to exceed the 170 kg of nitrogen per hectare per year organic manure limit up to a maximum of 250 kg of nitrogen per hectare.

With the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, officials from the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage are now preparing the sixth NAP, which must be in place by 1 January 2026. Ireland will again seek a derogation from the European Commission. Commission officials have been very clear that a derogation under the sixth NAP can only be considered if Ireland can demonstrate water quality improvements and stabilisation in water quality where objectives are being met. Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage officials are working closely with Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine officials to implement additional measures under the fifth NAP to ensure water quality improvements. There will be a public consultation on these measures in November with a view to having the measures in place from 1 January 2025.

Last month, the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage published Water Action Plan 2024, which includes the requirement for an agricultural water quality sectoral action plan and the Farming for Water European Innovation Programme. This programme is funded by both Departments and has a budget of €60 million over five years to implement measures where water quality is at risk from agriculture. It builds on the work undertaken by the local authority waters programme and the agricultural sustainability support advisory programme. Furthermore, officials from both Departments have been engaging with European Commission officials in advance of seeking the next derogation. In September, European Commission officials visited Ireland for three days and were accompanied by officials from both Departments on their visits to derogation farms and meetings with the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine agriculture water quality working group.