Pat Breen (Clare, Fine Gael)
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Question 203: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food the discussions she has had with the European Commission and the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government regarding a derogation under the nitrates directive; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26214/05]

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. In October 2004, Ireland submitted proposals for a derogation from the general organic nitrogen limit of 170 kg per hectare per annum laid down in the nitrates directive. The proposal was designed to allow farmers to operate under appropriate conditions and controls up to a level of 250 kg of organic nitrogen per hectare. My Department and Teagasc developed the derogation proposals in consultation with the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government.

The European Commission was not prepared to engage in formal discussions on the derogation proposals until Ireland's nitrates action programme was agreed. However, preliminary discussions with the Commission have taken place, and I will press strongly to have these discussions concluded as early as possible in 2006.

To help farmers meet their obligations under the action programme, I will seek approval from the European Commission for significant improvements in the farm waste management scheme. These include increasing the grant rate from 40% to 60%, and to 70% in the counties in zone C; a top-up of 5% to 10% for young farmers; higher investment ceilings and the extension of the scheme to the pig and poultry sectors.