Liam Twomey (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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Question 90: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food the status of Ireland's application for a derogation under the Nitrates Directive; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23636/06]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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Proposals for amendments to the Nitrates Regulations, along with the scientific arguments to justify the changes, were forwarded to the European Commission by the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government on 18 May. There have since been discussions and other contacts between officials of the two Departments, Teagasc representatives and the European Commission.

The proposals were developed in conjunction with my Department and with the input of Teagasc and address a range of important issues identified in the Teagasc submission and raised by the farming bodies. I am satisfied that the changes proposed to the Commission will be of major benefit to Irish farmers, in that they will provide them with greater flexibility in complying with fertiliser limits and simplify certain aspects of the Regulations.

I am hopeful that discussions on the Regulation can be brought to a quick conclusion so that negotiations can proceed on a derogation to allow certain farmers to operate, under appropriate conditions and controls, up to a level of 250 kgs of organic nitrogen per hectare. The derogation proposal was given an initial presentation to the EU Nitrates Committee in December 2005, and further scientific data have been supplied to the Commission following bilateral discussions. The proposal will have to be discussed further at future meetings of the Nitrates Committee before approval can be obtained.