Paudge Connolly (Cavan-Monaghan, Independent)
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Question 371: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food the logic of excluding farmers wishing to take in pig and poultry manure from the Nitrates Directive derogation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39978/06]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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Ireland applied to the European Commission for a derogation, under the Nitrates Directive, from the limit of 170kgs of organic nitrogen per hectare per year. The derogation, as submitted to the Commission, would have applied not only to grassland farmers but also to farmers wishing to import pig and poultry manure. Unfortunately, this aspect of the proposal did not meet with the approval of the Commission, and it did not form part of the Commission`s proposal which was approved by the EU Nitrates Committee involving the 25 member States on 13 November.

Producers in the pig and poultry sectors will, however, benefit from transitional arrangements which were secured under the revised European Communities (Good Agricultural Practice for Protection of Waters) Regulations introduced in July 2006. These arrangements, which allow for phosphorus limits to be exceeded up to 1 January 2011 for land using pig and poultry manure from existing farming enterprises, represent a major concession and I believe they will allow these industries time to adapt to the requirements of the Regulations. In addition, my Department has introduced important measures which will benefit pig and poultry producers, such as access to the Farm Waste Management Scheme.

Paudge Connolly (Cavan-Monaghan, Independent)
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Question 372: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food if, in view of the difficulties faced by Monaghan and Cavan producers seeking to dispose of upwards of 400,000 tonnes of poultry litter and pig slurry, he will make a special case for the application of the Nitrates Directive derogation to farmers wishing to take in pig and poultry manure; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39979/06]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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Ireland applied to the European Commission for a derogation, under the Nitrates Directive, from the limit of 170kgs of organic nitrogen per hectare per year. The derogation, as submitted to the Commission, would have applied not only to grassland farmers but also to farmers wishing to import pig and poultry manure. Unfortunately, this aspect of the proposal did not meet with the approval of the Commission, and it did not form part of the Commissions proposal which was approved by the EU Nitrates Committee involving the 25 member States on 13 November.

Producers in the pig and poultry sectors will, however, benefit from transitional arrangements which were secured under the revised European Communities (Good Agricultural Practice for Protection of Waters) Regulations introduced in July 2006. These arrangements, which allow for phosphorus limits to be exceeded up to 1 January 2011 for land using pig and poultry manure from existing farming enterprises, represent a major concession and I believe they will allow these industries time to adapt to the requirements of the Regulations. In addition, my Department has introduced important measures which will benefit pig and poultry producers, such as access to the Farm Waste Management Scheme.