Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein)
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364. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will consider extending the deadline for slurry spreading to 15 October, as in previous years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38797/24]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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My colleague, Minister O'Brien is responsible for the European Union Good Agricultural Practice for the Protection of Waters Regulations 2022 (SI 113 of 2022, as amended).

Under these Regulations the closed period for applying slurry to land now commences on the 1st of October annually.

Following consultation with me, in 2022, Minister O'Brien published the scientific criteria that must be considered before granting any extension to the slurry spreading period. Due to the increased risk of the loss of nutrients to water through late application of slurry those criteria were designed to only apply in justified exceptional circumstances.

Last year the scientific criteria were met and that justified an extension to the period when slurry spreading was permitted. However, the same scientific criteria have not been met this year.

There has been a significant increased focus on water quality across the agri-food sector in recent years. Stakeholders across the industry are now very much focused on the objective of improving water quality.

Earlier this year I published 'Water and Agriculture - a collaborative approach' which highlights the issues we face and the good work currently being done to improve water quality from an agricultural perspective.

Water quality needs to improve in order to meet the Water Framework Directive target and to maintain Ireland's Nitrates Derogation.

Farmers have been and are making great strides in implementing actions at farm level to improve water quality and the current government is providing strong incentives to support this work which is underpinned by science.

The relevant scientific criteria do not underpin a decision to extend the slurry spreading deadline this year and the closed period begins on 1st October.