Farmers and rural communities must not be led off a cliff by a government that refuses to plan for contingencies
Government needs a ‘plan B’ for farmers if their attempts to secure an extension of the nitrates derogation fail, according to Social Democrats Agriculture spokesperson Jennifer Whitmore.
“There has been confirmation today that it will now be much more difficult for government to secure an extension of the nitrates derogation. As part of the application process, the government will have to demonstrate compliance with the Habitats Directive.
“In effect, this means any farmer grazing cattle near designated areas with protected species – which include 46 catchment areas with an average size of 150,000 hectares – will have to seek an assessment of the area before the application is granted.
“This is a new criteria which is hugely welcome, given it is designed to protect the environment and that other plans, put in place for previous extensions, failed to protect water quality and our biodiversity.
“However, it means compliance, for the government will be extremely difficult as it will be onerous to both assess these area and secure the necessary approvals.
“While the government is continuing to insist it will overcome this new hurdle, the reality remains rather less optimistic.
“Next year, Ireland will be the only EU member state applying for a further extension of the derogation. Other EU countries, which had the derogation, have conceded it is incompatible with efforts to improve water quality and protect biodiversity.
“For those reasons, the Social Democrats are clear that the government should not be seeking this extension. But, at the very least, farmers and rural communities need to be assured there is a ‘plan B’ from government, if the decision doesn’t go their way.
“Instead of sticking its head in the sand, and insisting it will be ‘alright on the night’, the government needs to outline a list of supports that will be made immediately available if the application is turned down.
“The government’s blind optimism, in the face of mounting evidence that this task is difficult to overcome, is reckless. Farmers and rural communities must not be led off a cliff by a government that refuses to plan for contingencies.”