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The promised planning exemption for slurry storage may be delayed until Q4 of this year, according to the Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association (ICMSA).
Following a meeting of the agriculture water quality committee, the ICMSA has called on both the Minister of Agriculture and the Minister for Housing to make a concerted effort at getting the exemption over the line and into law.
The original timeframe for the implementation of the exemption was the beginning of 2025 in line with the recently announced 60% slurry storage grant.
ICMSA deputy president Eamon Carroll said on Friday: "When the State wants something from farmers, it’s happening in a fortnight or in a month or two, or we have a fixed schedule that won’t be changed.
"When it comes to introducing a change that will benefit farmers - like the planning exemption for increased slurry storage - then suddenly it becomes ‘sure we’ll try and do it by the end of this year’ - and we’re hearing this after only six weeks of 2025."
Farmers, he added, put slurry storage construction on hold for the opening of the new TAMS 3 grant.
"That TAMS has been delivered, but the planning exemption was meant to go hand-in-hand with that opening of TAMS 3 is not on the horizon and ‘might be’ at the end of the year, so effectively a whole year will have been lost.
"It’s not good enough; we know of many farmers who considered expanding slurry storage, but delayed waiting for the exemption from planning permission - that’s a whole year wasted. We have to get this over the line,” said Carroll.
Obstacle
Carroll said that farmers who want to invest in slurry storage for the betterment of water quality have seen yet another obstacle put in their way.
"The least the situation demanded was a joint and concerted effort by both Ministers Hayden and Browne to ensure that the commitments made on delivering the planning exemption is delivered as soon as possible.
“Building conditions are best during the later spring and into early autumn period. The suggestion of a delay into Q4 effectively moves any possibility of projects back at least six months to a year.
"If improving water quality is the goal - and [the] ICMSA certainly thinks it is - then we desperately need to get a move on and admin obstacles and delays around taking the action on exempting improved slurry storage just has to be dealt with," he said.
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