The Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue has told the Dáil that farmers may have to reduce livestock numbers, export slurry from their farms or reduce stocking rates by getting more land, if the European Commission acts on the agreement made with Ireland over declining water quality standards.
Under the Nitrates Derogation and Ireland Nitrates Action Plan, 6,900 Irish farmers are allowed higher than average limits of organic livestock manure per hectare.
But the agreement with the Commission for last year also stipulated a water quality review was required in 2023.
If water quality worsened, the upper limits would be reduced from the beginning of 2024.
The EPA recently published that review of water quality between 2021 and 2022 and found overall water quality is in decline. The report has been sent to the Commission.
Minister McConalogue said his officials are engaging with the European Commission to try and get extra time and to keep the derogation.
But he added that it is not a case of the Government going out and banging the table to ensure we continue to get it.
He said farmers are making significant efforts to address water quality but the level of nutrients in many water course remains too high as evidenced by EPA reports.
The Minister also said he has set up an Agriculture Water Quality Working Group for stakeholders, including the farming organisations, to try and achieve flexibilities with the midterm review and in the medium term to retain and get a renewal of the the country's nitrates derogation post 2025.
Farming organisations have argued the EPA report does not take into account recent measures to cut down nitrates pollution into account and does not reflect the reality of the current situation with water quality.
The EPA says, however, it stands over its report which was completed in accordance with specific criteria laid down by the Commission.
The European Commission will make its decision on the Nitrates Derogation in October.
