John O'Mahony (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 88: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if, in view of the clear difficulties governing the spreading of slurry, which is regulated by calendar date, rather than actual weather conditions, if he has plans to introduce a more environmental and farmer friendly regime; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5034/09]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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The Nitrates Regulations (SI No. 378 of 2006) are a matter for the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government in the first instance. The objective of the Regulations is to protect water quality and the various provisions are designed to control the management of fertilisers, including the timing, method of application and maximum amounts that may be applied, in order to prevent fertiliser losses to water.

The EU Nitrates Directive requires Member States' Action Programmes to include rules regarding periods when the land application of certain types of fertilisers is prohibited. Therefore the Nitrates Regulations had to specify prohibited periods during which fertilisers may not be applied to land. The purpose of these prohibited periods is to ensure that fertilisers are not applied at times of the year when crops are not growing and not able to use them, and when there is a high risk of those fertilisers finding their way into waters instead. Outside of these prohibited periods, fertilisers may be applied to land provided that weather and ground conditions are suitable and that any buffer zones, as specified in the Regulations, are respected.

The contents of the Regulations made by the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government were the subject of extensive consultation with stakeholders, including the farming bodies, and were finalised following a long period of negotiation with the EU Commission. At the conclusion of this process, the Nitrates Regulations (SI No. 378 of 2006) were made by the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government in 2006 to further implement the EU Nitrates Directive.

The provisions in relation to landspreading, including the dates of the prohibited periods, are fundamental measures in meeting the objectives of the Directive, which is to protect waters against pollution from agricultural sources. Ireland's Nitrates Action Programme (Nitrates Regulations) is subject to review,with a new Action Programme to be published by the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government by 30.6.2010.This publication will be preceded by a consultation process, during which there will be opportunity for all stakeholders to comment on the current Programme and its implementation by means of the Nitrates Regulations.