Government must use the three years wisely – time to end the uncertainty and ease our way out of nitrates derogation
With news that the EU Commission is recommending a three-year extension of the Nitrates Derogation, the Green Party has today said that the Government must use the short timeframe wisely by adequately funding farmers to implement catchment and sub-catchment measures that would lead to significant improvements in water quality and to ease Ireland out of the need for the derogation.
‘In two short years and on this government’s watch, the derogation panic will start again. With laser focused collective and collaborative actions to improve water quality, investment in on farm measures to deliver co-benefits for nature, water and climate, farmers and farm families could be afforded greater choice in how intensively they farm, have a better quality of life, not be entirely at the mercy of the markets and head towards the next deadline without the fear of losing the derogation’ said Green Party Spokesperson for nature, heritage, marine and agriculture, Senator Malcolm Noonan.
‘While we still don’t know what conditions might be attached to the extension (possibly sub-catchment plans to adhere to the Habitats Directive), Government cannot look at this extension as business as usual and should redouble efforts to lead on long term funding to support the 7,000 derogation farmers to move away from dependency on its retention. I think we all know that it cannot be sustained forever so why not be honest with farmers? It’s time to put in place meaningful measures to once and for all reverse the decline in the quality of our streams, rivers, lakes and estuaries’.
Senator Noonan said that a good start would be to find the €650m that was to be allocated for nature restoration but disappeared in the NDP, to design and implement micro-farm based measures, informed by science, factor in dramatic changes in weather patterns and crucially to provide long term certainty to farmers that they will be paid for ecosystem services.
‘Minister Heydon and his Government will have a nice quiet Christmas thinking they got a win on this. In reality they have bought a three-year reprieve from the cliff edge for Irish farmers; three years that will go by in a heartbeat. They can’t sit on their hands on this perceived win. Government must be honest with farmers to help them to lead on actions that will end the uncertainty once and for all by moving towards a regenerative model of agriculture that works for farm families and for nature’.
