News

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue, has announced that Ireland has secured a positive vote on the extension of its nitrates derogation for the period 2022 – 2025.

The conditions for this Nitrates Derogation include a strengthened set of water protection measures, an increased level of inspections and a requirement for an interim review of water quality in 2023.

Commenting on the European Commission’s Implementing Decision granting Ireland the derogation, Minister McConalogue said:

The derogation allows more intensive farmers to operate at a higher stocking rate than that stipulated in the Nitrates Directive, subject to adherence to stricter rules to be implemented by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine. The derogation will run to 31 December 2025 with the interim review in 2023.

Minister McConalogue also announced that the online application portal will open tomorrow morning (18 March) for those wishing to apply for a nitrates derogation in 2022.

The Minister added:

Over 6,000 intensively stocked farmers availed of the derogation in 2021 with a similar number anticipated to avail of the facility in 2022. The online system is aimed at simplifying the application process and assisting farmers to avoid penalties. While farmers can also remain compliant with the Regulations by managing their livestock, exporting enough slurry / farmyard manure or renting additional land, this is subject to strict conditions including keeping records of any livestock manure or other organic fertilisers moved off the holding. There is now also a mandatory online system in place to record movements of organic manure between holdings which is also aimed at simplifying the process and assisting farmers to avoid penalties.

The closing date for Nitrates Derogation applications is 14 April 2022. Farmers who applied for a derogation in 2021 are reminded that they must submit fertiliser accounts by 14 April 2022.

Farmers not already registered for agfood.ie can do so by logging onto www.agfood.ie and clicking the ‘Register’ button. More information is available on the department’s website at the following link: Online services offered by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine

Further information, including Terms & Conditions are available on the department’s website at: Nitrates Derogation

The Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage are the lead government department in relation to the Nitrates Regulations. The Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage has signed S.I. No. 113 of 2022, the European Union (Good Agricultural Practice for Protection of Waters) Regulations 2022. These Regulations came into effect on 11 March 2022 and will expire on 31 December 2025.

Finalisation of the Nitrates Regulations paved the way for today’s formal vote on Ireland’s Nitrates Derogation. The Nitrates Regulations will now be amended to incorporate the European Commission’s Implementing Decision extending Ireland’s Nitrates Derogation.

The Nitrates Derogation allows farmers to exceed the limit of 170 kg of livestock manure nitrogen per hectare set down in the Nitrates Regulations, and to farm at a level up to a maximum of 250 kg livestock manure nitrogen per hectare, subject to adherence to stricter rules. For a Nitrates Derogation application to be valid, all terms and conditions of the Derogation must be adhered to.