Working Group’s proposed objective of reversing Ireland’s negative water trends that are attributed to Agricultural pressures with the view of also securing Ireland’s nitrates derogation post-2025.
Terms of reference
Membership
Minutes
29TH June 2023
19TH June 2023
29th May 2023
Response, as of 1st Nov 2023, DAFM has not yet identified the holdings concerned
DAFM National Water Quality Review Implementation Map for 2024
Date of shp file: 2023-10-02
https://opendata.agriculture.gov.ie/dataset/national-water-quality
Water Quality Review Implementation Map for 2024 – Maximum stocking rate of 220 kg livestock manure nitrogen per hectare applies for Nitrates Derogation holdings in these areas for 2024.
Ireland’s nitrates derogation allows farmers to farm at higher stocking rates, above 170 kg livestock manure nitrogen/ha up to 250 nitrogen/ha
Notes:
Data for DAFM ranked by number of herds
There is no public DAFM data available by farm, or by townland
The data does not give an indication of actual stocking levels on the farms
There is no easy way to map the data against catchments with nitrates pollution.
The data is number of derogation applications submitted (it may differ from actual number of derogation herds due to applications deleted, in draft when numbers published, or applications ‘under query’)
Download:
EC Reporting on water pollution by nitrates and action programmes taken in vulnerable zones.
Member States shall, in respect of the four-year period following the notification of this Directive and in respect of each subsequent four-year period, submit a report to the Commission containing the information outlined in Annex V.
Note: While the reporting comes from the EPA, they have confirmed that the summary text on farm activities, measures and inspections etc included in the report come directly from the Department of Agriculture Food and the Marine (DAFM).
The raw data on the farm activities, measures and inspections used by DAFM to create the summary in the report is held by DAFM
For the EPA’s annual assessment of water quality in relation to the nitrates derogation, DAFM provides the EPA with an image/map of the derogation farm locations. The most recent report, which includes the image/map of 2020 Derogation Herd Locations, is available on the EPA website. https://www.epa.ie/publications/monitoring–assessment/freshwater–marine/nitrogen-and-phosphorus-concentrations-in-irish-waters-2020.php
Reports are filed here:
AIE/22/026
DAFM response
No formal report regarding the SEA
Reports submitted annually to EU in respect of the Nitrates Derogation, which also contains information on general compliance with the Nitrates regulations, information from the Agricultural Catchments programme (administered by Teagasc) and EPA reports
(via anon AIE Request)
The Commission Decision of 8th February 2018 permits the land application of up to 250 kilograms of nitrogen per hectare per year from livestock manure under certain conditions.
Article 7 of the Commission Decision requires that maps showing information concerning approved derogations on a county basis be submitted annually to the Commission.
Article 8 sets out the reporting requirements for the purposes of the Commission Decision.
This report is submitted to address the requirements of Articles 8 and 10 and relates to operation of the derogation in Ireland during 2019.
Numbers of derogation applicants and the results of administrative checks 2019
| Number of applications | 6,786 |
| Number withdrawn | 245 |
| Number rejected | 131 |
| Number approved | 6,410 |
| 2019 | % of whole country |
| Number of holdings with grazing livestock | 4.98% |
| Number of grazing livestock units | 15.90% |
| Total net area | 9.61% |
Nitrates Derogations 2019: Applications by County
| County | Number of holdings who applied for derogation |
| Carlow | 96 |
| Cavan | 108 |
| Clare | 56 |
| Cork | 2,149 |
| Donegal | 104 |
| Dublin | 2 |
| Galway | 147 |
| Kerry | 395 |
| Kildare | 67 |
| Kilkenny | 517 |
| Laois | 242 |
| Leitrim | 1 |
| Limerick | 359 |
| Longford | 19 |
| Louth | 82 |
| Mayo | 44 |
| Meath | 166 |
| Monaghan | 276 |
| Offaly | 128 |
| Roscommon | 17 |
| Sligo | 20 |
| Tipperary | 866 |
| Waterford | 399 |
| Westmeath | 61 |
| Wexford | 384 |
| Wicklow | 81 |
| Total | 6,786 |
Percentage of net area encompassed by derogation in 2019 at county level
Percentage of grazing livestock units encompassed by derogation in 2019 at county level
Percentage of holdings with grazing livestock encompassed by derogation in 2019 at county level
Note: creation dates for above maps and report are early Nov 2020, so resubmitted AIE for 2020 report and maps
