Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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Under the European Union Good Agricultural Practice for Protection of Waters Regulations (Statutory Instrument No. 113 of 2022, as amended), compulsory use of Low Emission Slurry Spreading (LESS) is being introduced on a phased basis according to grassland stocking rate and enterprise type on farms as set out below.

In 2023 the obligation to use LESS applied to all farmers operating above a grassland stocking rate of 150kg of livestock manure Nitrogen per Hectare (N/ha).

From 2023 onwards:

• LESS is required for all pig slurry applications.
• LESS is also required for all applications of slurry to arable land unless the slurry is being incorporated into the soil within 24 hours.

In 2024 the obligation to use LESS was extended to include all farmers with a grassland stocking rate above 130 kg livestock manure N/ha. Next year it will apply to all farmers with a grassland stocking rate above 100 kg livestock manure N/ha.

My Department estimates approximately 26,000 farmers are obliged to use LESS this year. It must be borne in mind that other farmers will chose to use LESS equipment to apply their slurry even when it is not mandatory.

The expansion of the requirement to use LESS next year to cover all farmers with a grassland stocking rate above 100kg N/ha will further increase the use of LESS. At that stage a significant proportion of national slurry will be applied by LESS as the volumes of slurry produced by the more extensive farms are lower.

Given the air quality and nutrient use efficiency benefits of using LESS, I intend to continue to provide grant aid support for capital investments in certain types of LESS equipment under the Targeted Agricultural Modernisation Scheme (TAMS) for farms where the use of LESS is not mandatory.