Paul Connaughton Snr (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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Question 15: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food his views on the recently published report by the Food Safety Authority of Ireland on the impact of land-spreading of organic materials on land used for food production; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37508/08]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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The FSAI Report concluded that the current practice of landspreading of organic agricultural materials on agricultural land for food production is beneficial and should continue, with one exception. The exception relates to the spreading of untreated organic agricultural materials on land to be used for ready-to-eat food crops. The quantity of organic agricultural materials used in the production of ready-to-eat crops in conventional agriculture in Ireland is very small. Fertilisation of these crops is generally with chemical fertilisers. There are strict controls in place on the use of organic and chemical fertilisers in agriculture under the European Communities (Good Agricultural Practice for Protection of Waters) Regulations 2006.

The use of other materials such as treated or untreated sludge in agriculture is controlled by the Waste Management (Use of Sewage Sludge in Agriculture) Regulations, 1998 to 2001. Any revisions of the Sewage Sludge Regulations considered necessary as a result of the recommendations in the FSAI report are a matter in the first instance for the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government.