Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Independent)
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Question 457: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if the expansion of the Irish diary industry, as set out in the Food Harvest 2020 industry report, is dependent on Ireland maintaining its nitrates directive derogation post 2013; his fallback strategy if Ireland fails to achieve a further derogation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37279/11]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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In October 2007, the European Commission granted Ireland a derogation under the Nitrates Directive, allowing farmers to operate, subject to a number of additional conditions, up to a maximum limit of 250 kg's of organic nitrogen per hectare per year. During 2010, Ireland reviewed its Nitrates Action programme putting in place a second Action Programme. As part of this process, Ireland's request to extend the derogation was granted by the Commission and this new derogation runs to the end of 2013, coinciding with the end of the second Nitrates Action Programme.

The renewal of the derogation underpins the efforts of Ireland's agri-food sector to meet its targets under the Food Harvest 2020 strategy. It sets additional requirements on those farming at higher stocking rates to ensure their farming systems are sustainable and environmentally sound including a requirement for full nutrient management planning for the unit. My Department is committed to the proper implementation of the national derogation to ensure its continuance and to environmentally responsible farming. There is, of course, a continuing need to improve water quality, and Teagasc has indicated that recent research has demonstrated that it is possible to achieve high water quality and high productivity from grass based dairying by increasing Nitrates use efficiency.

The expansion targets in Food Harvest 2020 are contingent on a range of actions at all levels of the supply chain, including actions to improve productivity at farm level. These include measures to improve grassland management, to encourage the use of genetics to improve breed quality and productivity per animal and to encourage collaborative business models such as partnership and contract rearing, which have the potential to provide dairy farmers with access to additional land. These kinds of initiative have the potential to lead to a significant increase in production while mitigating any impact on the environment.