Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent)
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267. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government his plans to amend the regulations regarding slurry spreading to introduce greater flexibility as to when this practice is permitted; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41849/17]

Eoghan Murphy (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael)
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In accordance with the Nitrates Directive, Ireland’s Nitrates Action Programme is due for review this year.  Negotiations with the European Commission are ongoing with a view to having a revised Nitrates Action Programme in place by the end of 2017.

As part of the review, a full public consultation process was undertaken and this closed on 3 May 2017.  All submissions received on foot of this consultation have been given full consideration by an expert group comprising officials from my Department, the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Teagasc and the Environmental Protection Agency. The report of the expert group, together with the group's recommendations, was recently published on my Department's website.

It would be inappropriate to comment on any specific aspects of the review process, or to anticipate any final outcomes, in advance of the conclusion of negotiations with the European Commission.