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

I take on board what the Senator is saying about the timeline. It is a very tight timeline from November to 1 January. However, the programme I referred to earlier is a €60 million programme over five years to implement measures where water quality is at risk from agriculture. A fund is being provided to assist with this. Ireland must demonstrate water quality improvements and stabilisation to secure the next derogation. I believe the Senator accepts that. It will be a very great challenge to do that. It is important that we do everything we can to achieve these water quality improvements. To achieve them, both Departments are working together to ensure additional measures will be implemented from 1 January 2025 and to ensure that the agricultural measures committed to under Water Action Plan 2024 are fully implemented. This includes the Farming for Water European Innovation Programme. Officials from both Departments will be working together closely in developing the sixth NAP that will support the application for a further nitrates derogation. This will involve continued engagement with Commission officials and engagement with agri-industry and the farming sector. One of the reasons we need to bring in new criteria on 1 January 2025 is that we need a full 12 months of a lead-in to make sure that our application for a derogation commencing on 1 January 2026 is successful. It is a 12-month lead-in. It is important that we have everything sorted well in advance to make sure there is no glitch in the system in dealing with this.