Seán Conlan (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Question 536: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will remove the unnecessary discriminatory restrictions on farmers in counties Monaghan and Cavan and other Border counties from spreading slurry until 1 February while neighbouring farmers across the Border in Northern Ireland and in neighbouring farms in counties Louth and Meath face no such restrictions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27124/11]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The EU Nitrates Directive requires every Member State to implement a Nitrates Action Programme. Under the Directive each Action Programme must specify periods when the land application of chemical and organic fertilisers is prohibited.

This issue was raised last year in submissions received during the public consultation process that formed part of the review of The European Communities (Good Agricultural Practice for Protection of Waters) Regulations, commonly known as the 'Nitrates Regulations'. A Nitrates Review Expert Advisory Group was established to assess the technical merits of all submissions received. In the light of the Expert Review Group Report and subsequent discussions with the European Commission, the existing regime of closed periods for land-spreading was not changed. The second Nitrates Action Programme runs until the end of 2013 and this issue will be looked at then in the context of a review of the Programme.

I must stress that all counties have restrictions on the spreading of slurry under the Nitrates Action Programme. Under the Programme the national territory has been sub-divided into three regional zones by reference mainly to soil type, rainfall and length of growing season. All three zones have a period that prohibits the spreading of organic fertilisers starting on 15th October each year. The period for Zone A extends to 12 January, Zone B to 15 January and Zone C, which includes Cavan and Monaghan, to 31 January. The situation is similar in Northern Ireland with the land application of organic fertilisers, excluding farmyard manure and dirty water, prohibited from 15 October in any year to 31 January of the following year.

These restrictions have been included in the Regulations following a review of the previous provisions, submissions from the public and examination by the Nitrates Review Expert Advisory Group. I believe that the overall nitrates package of measures, including the renewal of the derogation, is the best package available to allow for the further development of the farming sector while also protecting our valuable water resource.