ICMSA – Minister must spell out plan for Appropriate Assessment on Nitrates and should meet Commission before submitting plan

The President of ICMSA, Denis Drennan, has called on the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Marine to immediately spell out in full his plans in relation to the Appropriate Assessment for Nitrates and alleviate the enormous uncertainty that now hangs over family dairy farms and, by extension, the wider dairy sector.  Over a month after receiving the letter from the EU Commission and after two meetings of the Agricultural Water Quality Group, Mr. Drennan said that we lack any real clarity around the process, the implications for farmers, and the timeframe for implementation. The ICMSA President said that the question had to be asked whether we were asking farmers – derogation and non-derogation alike – to meet what are potentially impossible criteria?  

“Given the seriousness of the situation, it’s just not good enough to be told that the Department intend to submit an outline plan to the EU Commission before the end of July but will not share details with the parties directly impacted: the farmers. As always, detail matters and unless we have clarity around exactly what the Minister intends to submit, we as a sector and as farmers are ‘signing a blank cheque’, the worst possible option.  The whole working basis for thousands of family farms has been undermined and these were farms already doing their utmost to meet the water quality measures insisted upon by the EU Commission –  the same EU Commission that has now introduced a whole new ‘Habitats’ protocol that puts a question mark over the progress already made and leaves farmers unable to work out where they stand or whether it’s even possible to proceed.  It is the firm view of ICMSA that the Minister should immediately meet with the EU Commissioner for the Environment and after that engagement deliver a plan that works for water quality, works for farmers, and keeps farmers positively engaged in the process”, said Mr. Drennan.  

Mr. Drennan said that farmers have been engaging, have been collaborating and the EU Commission and our own Government cannot keep shifting the goalposts while the ball is in mid-air.

“From an ICMSA perspective and based on what we have heard but have not seen, the current proposal from the Minister is going to force farmers into a process within which many will not be able to progress through no fault of their own. ICMSA wants the Minister to engage with the Commission before the outline plan is submitted and agree a process so that where a farmer is meeting all the requirements, that he or she will be allowed to continue to farm at a level that the science shows is environmentally sustainable and that a farmer will not be forced to destock due to poor water quality caused by other factors”, said Mr. Drennan.

The ICMSA President said that it would appear that under the current process, compliant farmers could be unfairly targeted, and this could not be allowed to happen. 

“The Government need to communicate in full with the farmer organisations, spell out in detail the process and how it intends to ensure that farmers meeting the current requirements can continue to farm at their current sustainable level.  This is the most basic obligation on the Irish Government, and it is one that is absolutely owed to the farmers, who deserve to know the facts before the national plan is submitted. The future of our centuries old and multi-billion Euro dairy sector is dependent on this plan, make no mistake about it.”

Ends       16 July 2025

Denis Drennan, 086-8389401

President, ICMSA

Or

Cathal MacCarthy, 087-6168758

ICMSA Press Office