No Nitrates compromise

By Pat O'Keeffe, Jack Kennedy

Nitrogen limits included in the Nitrates Directive Action Plan need to be reviewed, Teagasc Head of Research Seamus Crosse yesterday told the Oireactas committee on the Environment.

This follows the suspension two weeks ago of the Nutrient section of the Nitrates Action Plan pending further information on Phosphorus from Teagasc.

In a separate development in the long running saga, IFA President Padraig Walshe yesterday suspended his organisation's involvement in the Partnership talks. He accused the Departments of Agriculture and Environment of undermining the talks by announcing the imposition of the Nitrates Directive while the first Partnership meeting was actually in progress.

Walshe said: "I will not lead farmers into a charade. The Nitrates Directive will hit all farmers hard and undermine the competitiveness of agriculture in the future.''

Teagasc prepare new Nitrates case

The Irish Farmers Journal understands that Teagasc scientists are currently working on an environmental case for revised Phosphorus and Nitrogen limits. These are expected to be presented at a meeting of the Teagasc Authority which is scheduled to take place on Monday 20 February.

To date, Minister for the Environment Dick Roche has only said that Phosphorus limits were under review. However, at yesterday's Oireachtas committee meeting, John Sadlier of the Department of Environment said, "Of course advice is not set in stone and needs to be reviewed as new advice and recommendations are brought to the table".

Teagasc scientists believe that the Nitrogen levels need to be reviewed. The Teagasc scientists are likely to push the case for fertilizer limits closer to those in the long standing Teagasc "Green Book''. The current recommendations also fail to take account of soil type and are based on good land. At an Environment Committee meeting yesterday Seamus Crosse said: "Phosphorus and nitrogen levels permitted in Tables 12 and 13 (of the Action Plan) were not signed off by Teagasc.''

Dr Crosse repeatedly protested, "the Green Book (Nutrient Advice Manual) is our advice and our professional advisers giving farmers advice on the ground need flexibility when giving specific advice to farmers.

Dr Crosse said, "there was no cover up within Teagasc''.

IFA president Padraig Walshe said yesterday's decision is an important step in bringing sanity to the nitrates fiasco.

The Department have taken out a full page in today's Irish Farmers Journal giving advice to farmers on the implementation of the Nitrate Directive. This the first advice given to farmers and comes 10 days after the Directive implementation date of February 1 has passed.

Fine Gael spokesman for Agriculture Denis Naughten called on the Government to stop playing blame game and review directive on scientific basis.

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