Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent)
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208. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the position regarding changes to the slurry spreading closed season deadline; if there is now provision for increased flexibility; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44096/17]

Eoghan Murphy (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael)
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The European Union (Good Agricultural Practice for Protection of Waters) Regulations 2014, as amended, give legal effect in Ireland to the Nitrates Directive and to our Nitrates Action Programme (NAP). The Directive requires all member states to define set periods when the land application of fertiliser, including slurry, is not allowed and in Ireland the closed season commenced on 15 October.

The closed periods in Ireland were decided following extensive consultation and were discussed with farming bodies and the European Commission when Ireland’s Nitrates Action Programme was introduced. The provisions of the Regulations are underpinned by scientific research and good agricultural practice. The most recent scientific studies carried out on a diverse range of farm and soil types as part of Teagasc’s on-going Agicultural Catchments Programme has provided further evidence in support of the efficacy of the current closed periods in reducing nutrient losses to waters. A key message from the research is that there are disproportionately high nutrient losses to waters during the winter and the current closed period coincides with the time during which risks of incidental nutrient losses to water are highest. Farmers are advised to spread slurry early in the season when growth and nutrient uptake are at their peak.

My Department and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine have been closely monitoring the situation and have recognised that there may be some potential concerns for animal welfare arising from heavy rainfall in specific parts of the country (the north west in particular). Farmers with such concerns were advised to contact the Nitrates Section of the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine at (053) 9163444 or by email to with details of the flooding and/or trafficability situation, their herd number and other relevant data. Saturday 14 October was the latest date for such contact to be made.

Farmers wishing to avail of such flexibility are being being advised:

1. To spread only that volume of slurry necessary to ensure adequate storage capacity for the remainder of the closed period

2. That any spreading should occur as soon as good spreading conditions exist

3. That they will be prioritised for inspection by Local Authorities in the immediate future to ensure compliance with the Nitrates Regulations

4. That assessment of overall on-farm storage capacity may be part of that inspection process

5. That the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine will subsequently contact the farmers to ascertain and record the date(s) on which this additional spreading takes place.

Local Authority inspection reports will be returned to my Department and will be shared with the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and those farms needing to avail of this flexibility will become a priority category for inspections in future years also.