Revised nitrates plan to be issued
Environment Minister Martin Cullen, who outlined the timetable in the Dáil, said he and Agriculture and Food Minister Joe Walsh also intend to meet with the farming organisations again shortly on the issue.
He said he also proposes to appoint an independent adviser to review the comments which will be received. Mr Cullen said there is a requirement in the directive each member state must set a general limit not exceeding 170kg per hectare.
However, the directive also allows states to set higher limits where it can be shown this will not result in water pollution.
The Government believes climate and soil conditions on most Irish grassland will justify limits of up to 250kg per hectare.
But recent judgments of the European Court of Justice have made it clear that a member state cannot simply set the higher limit on its own.
Mr Cullen rejected sharp opposition claims that the Government had mishandled the issue.
Fine Gael spokesperson Billy Timmins, TD, said the action programme as it currently stands could result in an income loss of €60 million per annum.
Labour’s Dr Mary Upton said failure to implement the directive since 1991 is presenting a crisis situation.
Sinn Féin Martin Ferris said the problems over the directive were yet another example of the way EU regulations are approved with minimal input from the Irish Government.
