Brian Leddin (Limerick City, Green Party)
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135. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his plans to increase compliance and enforcement of the Nitrates Directive; if increased inspections by his Department under the Nitrates Action Programme 2022-2025 will be targeted at those catchments with the highest levels of nitrate pollution; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26829/22]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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The Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage is the Government Department responsible for the Nitrates Regulations. The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) works closely with that Department on the Nitrates Action Programme and the Good Agricultural Practice for the Protection of Waters Regulations.

Ireland's 5th Nitrates Action Programme and the latest regulations, that is the Good Agricultural Practice for the Protection of Waters Regulations  were finalised by my colleague, Minister Darragh O'Brien and published in March 2022.  Both will run until the end of 2025 with an interim review of the Nitrates Action Programme due to take place next year. The new Nitrates Action Programme includes a number of new strengthened measures, including a focus on improving compliance and enforcement.

Local authorities are responsible for the inspection programme under the Good Agricultural Practice Regulations, while DAFM is responsible for undertaking Cross Compliance in regard to direct payment schemes and also for Nitrates Derogation inspections. We are all committed to upolding our standards or water quality and driving even further improvements.  

As set out in the Nitrates Action programme, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), in conjunction with local authorities and other appropriate bodies, will develop and implement a National Agricultural Inspection Programme led by local authorities. These inspections will be more targeted and risk-based with a stronger focus on compliance, follow-up enforcement and cross-reporting to my Department.

In relation to Ireland’s Nitrates Derogation, this has been secured for 2022 – 2025 and one of the requirements of this is to increase the annual inspection rate from 5% to 10% of all farmers applying for a nitrates derogation.

This will increase the number of derogation farms being inspected by my Department each year from approximately 350 to approximately 700.  This doubling of the inspection rate combined with the continued risk-based approach to selection of farms for inspection represents a significant increase in enforcement activity.

In terms of cross compliance, under the EU Regulations governing the Direct Payments Schemes and Rural Development measures, 1% of applicants must be inspected annually to ensure compliance with the various Statutory Management Requirements or SMRs.  These include SMR 1 which relates to compliance with the Nitrates Regulations. In the region of 1,500 inspections are completed annually by my Department to meet this regulatory requirement.  This will continue under the new Regulations.

Water quality is the bedrock of our environment and our industry. Our farmers are committed to driving even further imporvements from our already strong starting point. I will work closely with our farm families in driving this important improvement.