Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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Question 281: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the regulations that apply for the storage and disposal of poultry manure; if new regulations must be compiled with before the end of 2008; the way these regulations compare with regulations operated within Northern Ireland against whom producers here compete; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9595/08]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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The storage and utilisation of poultry manure are covered by the European Communities (Good Agricultural Practice for Protection of Waters) Regulations 2006 (SI no. 378 of 2006), made by the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government. The Regulations place obligations on farmers regarding the storage of livestock manures, specify periods when the land application of fertilisers is prohibited and place limits on the land application of fertilisers.

The Regulations require that farmers must have 26 weeks' storage capacity for poultry manure. In certain circumstances, as defined in the Regulations, a lesser capacity may apply. In all cases, holdings with poultry must have the required storage in place on 1 January 2009. The application of poultry manure to land must respect the requirements of the Regulations in terms of nutrient requirement, timing and method of application.

In Northern Ireland, the Nitrates Action Programme Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2006 and the Phosphorus (Use in Agriculture) Regulation (Northern Ireland) 2006 place similar requirements on NI farmers in relation to the storage and use of poultry manure. The NI Regulations came into force on 1 January 2007 and require holdings with poultry to have 26 weeks storage capacity by 31 December 2008 at the latest. The prohibited period for application of livestock manure, including poultry manure, is 15 October to 31 January, the same as specified for counties Donegal, Leitrim, Cavan and Monaghan in the European Communities (Good Agricultural Practice for Protection of Waters) Regulations 2006.