A team from the European Commission’s environment directorate has landed in Ireland as part of a three-day visit to focus on water quality and nitrates derogation.

Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue invited the delegation following last year’s visit to Ireland by Commissioner for the Environment Virginijus Sinkevicius.

It is hoped that this visit will show the work being done by farmers - supported by Government and industry - to improve water quality.

Speaking on the first of a number of farms the officials will visit over the coming days, Minister McConalogue said the nitrates derogation will be discussed.

“Scientifically, we have robust reasoning to justify this request with our unique grass-based system, long growing season and soil types,” he said.

“However, all stakeholders - Government, farmers and industry - are also acutely conscious that improving water quality across the country is a critical component of securing support for the continuation of the derogation from the Commission and other EU member states.

“This visit provides a tremendous opportunity to showcase these actions Irish farmers are taking to improve water quality and to demonstrate how important the derogation is to Irish farm families.”

Investment

Commission officials will also meet with the agricultural water quality working group, farm representatives and other stakeholders, to discuss Ireland’s nitrates action programme, with a specific focus on the nitrates derogation.

Irish Government representatives plan to speak about public and private investment to improve the environment.

These measures are seen in the Agricultural Sustainability Support and Advisory Programme (ASSAP), the €60m European Innovation Programme (EIP), the Agricultural Catchments Programme and the €1.5bn ACRES, in which 55,000 farmers are participating.

Minister of State Senator Pippa Hackett said good water quality is an absolute requirement for citizens.

“Investments such as those in organic farming under the CAP Strategic Plan, the woodland for water initiative under the new forestry programme, and the multispecies swards and red clover silage measures, can make a real contribution to delivering the necessary improvements.”

Nitrates derogation

Minister of State Martin Heydon added that the nitrates derogation is important to Ireland’s grass-based system.

“Central to our strategy to improve water quality and retain the derogation is practical research, the provision of advice and supports to farmers and the intensive monitoring of water quality under the agricultural catchment programme.

“This visit is a platform to showcase the work of Irish farmers and the agri-food sector to protect water quality and highlight the importance of the dairy sector to the rural economy.”

ICMSA

The Irish Creamery and Milk Suppliers Association (ICMSA) said the officials will see "first hand" the work farmers are doing to improve Ireland's water quality.

Speaking following the meeting in Carlow, association president Denis Drennan hoped that the Commission heard the message "loud and clear" that farmers are working hard on water quality.

“It is a demonstrable fact that that there are farmers farming at 250kg/ha in areas where water quality is pristine, which clearly shows that farming above the 170kg derogation level is not a negative from a water quality perspective.”

He said that the key challenge must involve "the right measure in the right place", rather than blanket "one-size-fits-all" measures that will destroy the economic and social fabric of rural Ireland and critically undermine our largest indigenous industry.

“Farmers have changed, they are continuing to change and have invested massively in environmental improvements on their farms.

"The science clearly shows that there is a time lag between measures being introduced and improvements in water quality.”