Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Independent)
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Question 25: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food her views on the way in which the proposed nitrates regulations will impact on the economic viability of Irish farming and the Irish food sector; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5701/06]

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. The Minister, Deputy Roche, has recently made regulations giving legal effect to Ireland's national action programme under the directive.

There has been much comment and speculation in recent days and weeks about the effect of the nitrates regulations on farming. I am aware that the implementation of the regulations will be challenging for some farmers. I am also aware that there is a serious information deficit on some aspects of the matter. Clearly, this is not in the interests of farmers themselves and I am anxious to bring clarity to the situation as soon as possible. As a first step, my Department has placed advertisements in the farming press explaining the main provisions of the regulations in clear and straightforward terms. A handbook is being finalised and will be sent to every farmer as soon as possible. Officials of my Department have already had discussions with Teagasc about arrangements for the delivery of information which will further help farmers to understand the practical aspects of the new regulations.

The Government is committed to giving the farming community all the practical help it can. Following from commitments made in the Sustaining Progress agreement, which related explicitly to the nitrates directive, payment rates in REPS increased by 28% on average in 2004. The number of farmers in REPS reached record levels last year. My Department's Estimates for 2006 includes a provision of €323 million for REPS, the highest ever.

We also introduced improvements to the farm waste management scheme and the dairy hygiene scheme in 2004, and I have tabled proposals to the Commission for further major improvements to the farm waste management scheme which will provide a far more attractive package to farmers than that which was previously available. Only last week in Brussels I met Commissioner Fischer Boel and impressed on her the need for early Commission approval of the scheme as submitted. I have secured an Estimates provision of €43 million in 2006 for the revised scheme.

Most of the controversy in recent days has centred on the nutrient management provisions of the regulations. These were finalised following difficult negotiations with the Commission's scientific experts, with both Departments making use of the advice provided by Teagasc. It was the Commission, however, that determined the final content of the regulations.

Teagasc has recently indicated that it may be possible to review part of the advice it had given on the application of phosphorus, in a way that could improve the effectiveness of the regulations. The Government and the European Commission saw merit in allowing Teagasc time to elaborate this new advice and, accordingly, the Minister, Deputy Roche, announced a brief de facto deferral of the implementation of Part 3 of the regulations. Teagasc has been requested to provide, as a matter of urgency, the necessary scientific case to support any revision of the phosphorus tables in the regulations. The two Departments will carefully consider any submission received from Teagasc while also bearing in mind that any proposals for revision of the phosphorus tables will have to respect the environmental requirements associated with the nitrates directive and meet with the agreement of the European Commission.

Teagasc has not been specifically requested to review its advice on nitrogen issues. However, to the extent that its revised submission on crop nutrient requirements suggests any further beneficial adjustments to the regulatory regime, these will, of course, be considered. The possibility of such further adjustments will also depend on their respecting the environmental requirements involved and on their acceptance by the European Commission.

A central issue arising from the nitrates directive is the need to secure a derogation which will allow certain farmers to operate, under appropriate conditions and controls, up to a level of 250kgs of organic nitrogen per hectare. The proposal was given an initial presentation to the EU nitrates committee in December, and further scientific data have been supplied to the Commission following bilateral discussions. The proposal will need to be discussed again at future meetings of the nitrates committee before approval can be obtained. Securing this derogation is vital for the most productive dairy farmers, in particular, and it is important that the position on the regulations is clarified at an early date so that the negotiations on the derogation can proceed.