EPA Water Quality Data Brings Optimism For 2025 and the Derogation.  –  ICMSA.

Commenting on the EPA’s early insight nitrogen concentration data published recently, the President of ICMSA, Mr. Denis Drennan, said that the January-June data for 2024 is certainly cause for optimism as we move into 2025, a year that is critical in terms of securing the nitrates derogation post 2025.   As importantly, it suggests that we have turned a corner on our water quality challenges and if we continue to deliver on our current efforts, an improving trend in water quality is certainly on the horizon which should remove the unjustified pressures on the nitrates derogation which is critical to the dairy family farm model in Ireland.  

The data, Mr. Drennan said, would indicate that nitrates levels in the first half of 2024 are now back to nearly 2016 levels and it also would strongly suggest that despite the criticism that farmers receive in the media on water quality, the actions being carried out at farm level by farmers are delivering water quality improvements and that the time lag that ICMSA has consistently argued is a factor in water quality improvements.  

There has been a massive effort made by farmers from a personal, farm management and financial perspective over the last number of years and indeed by the wider Agri-food sector and the uncertainty surrounding the future of our derogation remains a massive uncertainty for farm families and the wider industry with, in some cases, ill-informed commentary adding to this uncertainty.

The EU Commission have indicated that an improving water quality trend would be important in terms of securing the derogation post 2026 and ICMSA believes that the EPA data now certainly provides a foundation for the delivery of the derogation, but it should also ensure that the focus on implementing existing regulations that are shown to work rather than constantly adding new rules and regulations.  Farmers have taken steps on water quality, the EPA published data has shown an improvement, we will work to deliver further improvements and our Government must deliver our derogation and importantly a level of long-term certainty so that our largest indigenous industry can move forward in confidence, concluded Mr. Drennan.

ENDS   19 December 2024

Denis Drennan 086-8389401

President ICMSA

Or

ICMSA Head Office (061) 314677.