Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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342. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the extent to which the natural drainage of agricultural land continues given the extent to which heavy machinery has a tendency to break down the drains resulting in over wetting of productive agricultural land; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18893/23]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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All soils in Ireland are at risk of compaction and trafficability problems. Wet, poorly-drained soils can present problems for much of the year, but even free-draining soils will be prone to compaction and trafficability challenges during wet periods.

Once soils are wet, they are structurally weak and this can result in a compacted structure.

My Department does not have a mechanism for monitoring the impact of trafficability, surface damage or compaction. It is up to individual farmers to use appropriate management strategies to protect their soil when it is wet.