Varadkar warns of battle to maintain nitrate limit exemption for farmers

David Young, PA

Ireland faces a battle to maintain a nitrates derogation for farmers and avoid the “devastating” imposition of standard EU limits, the Taoiseach has warned.

Ireland is one of three EU member states that has a derogation to enable some farmers to work to a higher nitrate limit than is applied in the rest of the EU.

For most of the 27 EU countries, they have a limit of 170kg organic nitrogen per hectare (N/ha).

Farmers in Ireland have been allocated a derogation of 250kg N/ha, but this is to be reduced to 220kg N/ha from January due to poor water quality recorded.

Farmers have raised concerns about the cut, arguing that it will affect their ability to make a living and lead to a reduction in herd numbers.

They insist it will not have a major impact on improving water quality.

The Government has conceded that the EU Commission is not prepared to rethink the reduction from 250kg to 220kg N/ha.

However, Ministers have stressed the importance of retaining the 220kh N/ha when the current four-year derogation is reviewed ahead of its expiry at the end of 2025.

Addressing the Seanad on Thursday, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said it was vital that a further derogation is secured for 2026 onward.

“We have a real fight in our hands I think, to hang on to the 220,” he said.

“That has to be a big priority between now and 2025.”

Mr Varadkar said a reduction close to the 170kg N/ha limit would be “devastating for family farm incomes and really damaging to our economy and our export industry”.

He highlighted that the impact would extend beyond the farm gate, to businesses linked to farms and the wider economy.

“But we will have a battle on our hands,” he added.

“You know, we might be the only country that has it (a derogation) and we need 27 countries to vote for us, and a lot of them see it as a competitive advantage for us.

“So we need to bear that in mind. We need to win the votes on this. And that means convincing those countries that we are serious about improving our water quality and our environmental sustainability standards too.”

Mr Varadkar confirmed that EU Commissioner for the environment Virginijus Sinkevicius has agreed to visit Ireland to discuss the issue.

“I look forward to meeting him. I hope he will come and visit a farm, I’m not sure if he’ll be able to or not, but I look forward to meeting with him to talk about that and any other flexibilities that we might be able to achieve,” he added.