Jackie Cahill (Tipperary, Fianna Fail)
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2563. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if the system for the manual submission of documentation currently in place for farmers who are receiving pig slurry can be extended beyond the 1 July 2021 deadline given the new online process will be difficult for a large number of farmers in view of the fact they do not have the facilities or training to undertake the online submission process which will be in place after that date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20582/21]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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Under the Nitrates Regulations farmers are obliged to farm within the limit of 170 kgs of nitrogen per hectare (or 250kgs/N/ha for those who hold an approved derogation. One of the measures farmers can take to ensure compliance with this limit is to export slurry to another holding.

These movements must be declared to the Department on a paper form by 31^stDecember annually, (or 31^stOctober for derogation holders.). Submission was by e-mail or post. However many farmers incur penalties each year because they did not submit the Record 3 Form by the deadline of 31^stDecember.

The new online system will help replace over 16,000 paper forms that have been submitted annually by farmers and bring a number of benefits. These include simplifying the system of reporting of movements and indeed more importantly also giving farmers access to more prompt information on their compliance with the stocking rate limits where they are exporting or importing manure. The system can be used by either farmers themselves or their agricultural adviser.

To facilitate the transition, the Department will accept both on-line declarations and paper forms until 1st July 2021,after which date use of the new on-line system will be mandatory. Additional support to aid the transition will be made available to farmers and advisors shortly.

To use the on-line system farmers must be registered to use the Department’s on-line portal www.agfood.ie. The vast majority of farmers are already registered to use the on-line portal for other DAFM schemes. A user manual for farmers and advisers is available on the Department’s website at this link:

Nitrates Section is at all times available to assist those who have any queries.