Danny Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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489. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if consideration can be given to extending the dates for spreading slurry (details supplied). [57219/25]

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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My Department is responsible for the Good Agricultural Practice for the Protection of Waters Regulations 2022 (SI 113 of 2022, as amended). Under these Regulations the closed period for applying slurry to land now commences on the 1st of October annually.

In 2022 my Department, following consultation with the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, published the scientific criteria that must be considered before granting any extension to the slurry spreading season. Due to the increased risk of loss of nutrients to water at this time of year, these criteria are designed to only apply in justified exceptional circumstances.

The weather in 2025 has been good, with the warmest and sunniest spring on record with rainfall below average everywhere providing good slurry spreading conditions. The summer months have also provided good opportunities for slurry spreading with indications it may be the warmest summer on record with rainfall levels nationally close to, or slightly below, average.

To secure a sustainable future, there is now a significantly increased focus on water quality across the entire agri-food sector. Part of these efforts relate to improved timing of nutrient application to align with the crop's needs and maximising the value of the nutrients present in organic manures. As articulated by Teagasc, slurry should be spread when the potential for nitrogen losses is low and the uptake of nutrients by a growing crop is high. These conditions typically occur in the Spring, and not the Autumn, where reducing sunshine hours increasingly limit growth and increase the risk of nutrient loss.

Farmers have been making great strides in implementing actions at farm level to improve water quality and the Government is providing strong incentives to support this work which is underpinned by science. It is important that this national effort to improve water quality continues. The relevant scientific criteria do not support an extension to the slurry spreading deadline this year.