Having secured the Nitrates Derogation for 2026–2028 with some additional conditions, Minister for Agriculture Martin Heydon has warned that there may be areas where derogation applications will not get approved.
Speaking at the Killashee Hotel in Naas on Thursday which hosted the AgRenew Summit, the Minister reminded attendees that the decision to grant Ireland a derogation was dependent on completing environmental assessments under the Habitats and Water Framework Directives.
He said that this was a “significant task” and added that a Catchment Overview Report for each of the 46 river catchments has already been published.
Minister Heydon stated that it will be followed early next year by publication of 583 sub-catchment overview reports providing greater localised insights into the data and datasets that will form the basis for the assessments.
Challenging process
He explained that this will be a “challenging process” and that he has committed substantial resources to completion of this work by 2028.
While he said he does “not wish to prejudge the outcome of this process in any way” he stated that “it is important to acknowledge that there will be areas where we may not be able to approve derogation applications in the future”.
“It will be important that farmers are given time to adjust their farming in such circumstances and I remain committed to a transparent and collaborative process including with ICOS and the other members of the Ag Water Quality Working Group.”
The Minister said it is critical to continue progress on improving water quality and reminded farmers there is Government support available to farmers in this regard, including prioritised support for manure storage at 60% under TAMS and support through free advisory services under the ASSAP programme.
