ICMSA say new ‘AA’ process could be “the straw that breaks the back of Irish dairying”

The President of ICMSA, Denis Drennan, has said that the future of many family dairy farms and of the wider dairy sector is at stake arising from the process proposed by the Minister for Agriculture, Food & Marine on an Appropriate Assessment under the Habitats Directive for the purpose of securing a Nitrates Derogation post 2025. Mr. Drennan said, that it is blatantly unfair that the 7,000 farmers farming under derogation – who he said were the most compliant and most inspected – are being blamed almost exclusively for perceived decline water quality.  He said that now the data on water quality showed signs of improvement, the ‘goalposts had moved’ and these farmers were now to be asked to not only meet water quality regulations but also the conditions of the Habitats Directive, even though most of these farmers do not farm designated lands.  

Mr. Drennan said that the reason why some habitats are not at the required standards is the complete failure of the NPWS to implement the regulations properly over nearly 30 years.

“Now, they want 7,000 farmers to pay the price for their incompetence and, be very clear, no Member State in the EU is meeting the requirements of the Habitats Directive”, he said.

“Farmers are entitled to ask the question: will the same rules apply to Irish Water on water quality? Or on Dublin airport on emissions? Will those operations have to do an AA and if there is a problem, will they be asked to cut back? Everyone knows the answers and, yet again, there is one draconian rule for farm families and other small businesses and another ‘work away and expand’ rule for state agencies. This brutally unfair double-standard is happening under the eyes of rural TDs and those TDs had better realise that there will be an announcement on CAP post 2027 next week and on the plan the Minister intends to submit to the EU Commission by the end of July. Those rural TDs absolutely have to get across the details of the threat to those 7,000 Derogation farmers and the implications of that new CAP post 2027”, he continued.

Mr. Drennan was particularly critical of the complete lack of respect shown to farmers by this late introduction of the Habitats Directive into the process and he said that trust in the process was not helped by the fact that the Agriculture Water Quality Group did not meet for almost four months on what is obviously such a critical subject for the future of the Irish dairy sector and farming in general.  

He said that based on ICMSA’s current understanding, some farmers who have to this point done everything asked of them, will end up losing their derogation, even though they are not the problem and water quality will not be improved by taking out these farmers.  He added that it was absolutely horrendous that at this late stage, a whole new set of protocols and rules are to be foisted on farmers – some of whom will lose their derogation and be put out of business even though they may not be the problem.

“This ‘AA’ process could be ‘the straw that breaks the back’ of Irish dairying”

Mr. Drennan concluded by noting that farmers are fully supportive of environmental protection and had made proven strides on water quality. He described the decision to now introduce ‘AA’ as an absolute ‘kick in the teeth’ to the thousands of farmers concerned who will be forced to conclude that the Minister is failing on this matter at present.  The ICMSA President called for an immediate and full impact analysis of the proposed process, the full details of how the Department intend to implement the process and how it will work at farm level.   He said that those details must be supplied before anything is submitted to the Commission and all efforts made towards ensuring that those farmers presently operating sustainably are permitted to continue to do so and future generations attracted to replace them. 

Ends     8 July 2025

Denis Drennan, 086-8389401

President, ICMSA.

Or

Cathal MacCarthy, 087-6168758

ICMSA Press Office