Written answers

Tuesday, 27 January 2009

Department of Agriculture and Food

Farm Waste Management

9:00 pm

Photo of Michael CreedMichael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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Question 1252: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the progress made on the programme for Government proposal to support farmers here by promoting measures for the minimisation of agricultural waste and for effective and environmentally friendly waste disposal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47715/08]

Photo of Michael CreedMichael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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Question 1253: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the progress made on the programme for Government proposal to provide supports to facilitate and ensure the implementation of EU directives on water, waste, nitrates and integrated pollution; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47716/08]

Photo of Brendan SmithBrendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 1252 and 1253 together.

Waste management is primarily a matter for the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government. The control authorities for water, nitrates and integrated pollution are the Environmental Protection Agency and/or local authorities. My Department has taken significant steps in assisting farmers to meet their obligation under the nitrates regulations by implementing the revised Farm Waste Management Scheme. This successful capital investment scheme incurred expenditure of €113.9 million and €413.7 million in 2007 and 2008 respectively. The Farm Waste Management Scheme also introduced higher grant rates to encourage farmers to invest in more environmentally friendly slurry-spreading equipment and these were also continued in the 2007 Farm Improvement Scheme. In addition, under the cross-compliance arrangements for the Single Payment Scheme (SPS), my Department carries out checks on farms in receipt of these payments to verify compliance with the requirements of the nitrates regulations. It has also produced an Explanatory Handbook, held information meetings for farmers and provided statements to farmers of nitrogen and phosphorus produced on their farms.

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