It comes as most of Ireland remains included in the new, stricter nitrates limits.

Minister Heather Humphreys has been asked to examine a means-tested payment after the ESRI said the measure could take more than 40,000 children out of poverty

Ireland is one of three EU member states that has been granted a derogation to enable some farmers to work to a higher nitrate limit than is applied in the rest of the bloc

However, the European Commission emphasised again that there is no possibility of reopening and renegotiating Ireland's agreed derogation 

Opposition parties are among the beneficiaries when measures such as the changes to the nitrates derogation antagonise and mobilise a group

Micheál Martin conceded that dairy farmers will 'bear the brunt' of the EU nitrates derogation, but said that compensation was not being considered

Thousands of dairy farmers could be forced to reduce herds in the next four months or spend money to acquire extra land

As much as we don’t want to hear it, rain is one of the things that makes Ireland so special — more than 4,000 lakes adorn the Irish landscape but half of them are unhealthy, with pollution escalating

The new Nitrates Action Plan beginning in January 2023 will increase the organic nitrate levels deemed to be produced per cow, with a new banding limit brought into effect for higher-yielding herds. Agricultural accountant Kieran Coughlan explores how changes will limit Irish cow numbers.

The report said there have been some encouraging signs, with water quality improved in 152 of 726 prioritised water bodies

Farmers will continue to lobby the Government in the coming weeks to ensure Ireland retains its derogation on EU nitrates regulations.

In 2015, more than 1,600 farmers incurred penalties totalling €1.8m for breaches of the 170Kg of nitrates per hectare limit.

The Irish Farm Managers Association has noted that applicants in the TAMS 2 grant scheme must be fully compliant with the Nitrates Directive in the previous year (2014, if applying this year) before applying for any environmental type works.

Changes in regulations allow more scope for farmers to build up and maintain soil fertility levels.