Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry South, Independent)
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Question 439: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if there will be a total reappraisal of slurry application and spreading dates, taking into account prevailing weather conditions more than any other consideration; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22022/12]

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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Restrictions in relation to the application and spreading of slurry, generally referred to as 'closed periods', are set out in The European Communities (Good Agricultural Practice for Protection of Waters) Regulations 2010. These Regulations transpose the Nitrates Directive and are the basis of Ireland's Nitrates Action Programme. The objective of the Regulations is to protect ground and surface waters, including drinking water sources, through, inter alia, the management of livestock manures and other fertilisers.

The Nitrates Regulations were reviewed in 2010 and, amongst the wide range of submissions considered by an independently chaired Expert Advisory Group established by my Department and the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Marine, were a number seeking increased flexibility with regard to the arrangements for the closed periods for the spreading of organic fertilisers. The Expert Advisory Group, however, did not propose a change to the dates set out in the Regulations. The selection of the closed periods in the Nitrates Regulations was informed by meteorological data over a 30 year period. Conditions for the spreading of slurry have generally been good this spring.