Questions for the Ministers for Agriculture, Housing, and Environment

As the crisis over the nitrates derogation deepens and farmers meet at big Cork public meeting - MEP Ciaran Mullooly highlights the top 10 questions Agriculture Minister Martin Hayden must answer to allay farmer fears...

Questions 
1. Why has the Government still not submitted the new Nitrates Action Plan, given that failure to do so on time will lead to the automatic loss of Ireland’s Nitrates Derogation by December 2025?
2. Can the Minister confirm that the proposed 21% increase in slurry storage capacity by 2028 will still apply even if Ireland loses its derogation — and explain how this can be justified when farmers would already be under severe regulatory strain?
3. What estimate has the Department made of the total cost burden on dairy farmers, given that the new storage requirements amount to approximately €1,000 per cow (€800 base cost plus a 21% increase)?In particular new entrants to dairying ? 
4. Does the Minister accept that these costs are unaffordable for most family dairy farms, especially with no certainty about the future of the derogation or access to adequate grant support?
5. Why did Teagasc revise upward the slurry output figures for dairy cows at this stage, and what scientific or on-farm evidence supports these new calculations?
6. Were the ICMSA and IFA consulted on these revised slurry figures, and did they agree with Teagasc’s or the Department’s assessment of the data and its implications for farm storage requirements?
7. What impact assessment has been carried out on national milk production, considering that many farmers may reduce herd size or milk output rather than take on major new capital costs for storage facilities?
8. How does the Government plan to financially support farmers who must now fund new slurry infrastructure - particularly if the derogation is lost and no additional CAP or national funding is provided?
9. Given that the plan is only now entering public consultation, how can the Minister guarantee that a fully approved Nitrates Plan will be ready before the EU deadline — with less than 60 days remaining before the derogation renewal vote?
10. The Government handling of the nitrates derogation issue with the European Commission has raised concerns :  Will the Ministers for Agriculture, Housing, and Environment outline a clear JOINT plan to coordinate and deliver a timely Nitrates Plan to deal with the scenario of a loss of the derogation, higher compliance costs, and reduced competitiveness for Irish dairy farmers?

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