Michael Fitzmaurice (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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153. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of farmers in derogation (details supplied); and the number above 700 units; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39534/24]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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I note the Deputy’s question requests the number of livestock units (LU) on derogation farms broken into bands of LU.

Unfortunately, this data is not currently available within my Department, however my Department does have a value for the total nitrates produced on the each derogation applicant’s holding in 2023.

Eurostat define an LU as “a reference unit which facilitates the aggregation of livestock from various species and age as per convention, via the use of specific coefficients established initially on the basis of the nutritional or feed requirement of each type of animal."

A dairy cow is generally taken as representing one LU, with other livestock given equivalence factors in accordance with the proportion of an LU they represent.

For the purpose of replying to this question, an LU has been calculated by dividing the total Nitrogen from cattle produced on each derogation applicant’s holding by 92kg. This value has been selected as 92kg equates to the livestock manure nitrogen output for each dairy cow in the majority of dairy herds nationally.

It should also be noted that the data analysed is based on the farmers who applied for a Nitrates Derogation in 2023, which is 7,298 applicants. When all checks have fully concluded the final number of farmers approved for the Nitrates Derogation in 2023 will be slightly lower than the number of applicants.

The following table details the breakdown of livestock units held by the 2023 Nitrates Derogation applicants as per the methodology outlined above.

2023 Nitrates Derogation Applicants