Minister accused of derogations ‘surrender’

IRELAND’S Nitrates derogation will be cut at the end of the year after Agriculture Minister Charlie McConalogue said on Wednesday there is ‘no prospect’ of saving Ireland’s current derogation, sparking fury among farmers. 

Minister McConalogue met EU Commissioner for the Environment Virginijus Sinkevidius and made the case to retain Ireland’s 250kg/ha nitrogen derogation until 2026. However he failed to secure a deal and the derogation will now be reduced to 220kg/ha from the start of 2024.  The commission says the reason for Ireland’s reduced derogation is there has not been sufficient improvement in water quality – an issue whch has been a bone of contention with farmers who argue the science measuring the water quality is flawed. 

Wednesday’s decision, in practice, means  farmers in West Cork who use the derogation will have to cut their herd numbers or buy or rent more land to meet the new regulations.  Farmers had already made clear the imprortance of maintaining the derogation and a rally in Bandon in July drew thousands of farmers, showing the depth of feeling on the issue. 

ICMSA president Pat McCormack accused the Government of ‘selling out’ family dairy farms and rolling over for the EU Commission in  an  ‘abject surrender’ on the issue.

 ‘Theres’ no point in being polite here; the Government’s defence of our position was just downright unacceptable and amounted to an abject surrender of what was and is a vital national sector,’ said Mr McCormack.  

‘Our grass-based dairy sector is the jewel in our agri- crown and the Government – without a murmur of complaint from Minister McConalogue – just handed over an absolutely key component to the EU Commission with nothing coming back to us.’