Monaghan IFA Environment Chairman Kathleen Ward has welcomed important river
basin management plan assurances received following a meeting with senior officials from the Department of the Environment.

IFA sought and received a clear commitment from the Department that they would accept the democratic decisions of the Councils and give full consideration to all amendments proposed. These amendments, which were democratically adopted by the councillors, addressed concerns raised by IFA and others and represented reasonable changes that would improve the plans.

IFA has also urged the Environment Minister John Gormley and Agriculture Minister Brendan Smith to safeguard the intensive livestock, dairy, pig and poultry sectors in the upcoming review of the nitrates regulations. According to Ms Ward it is essential that the nitrates derogation continues, which she said allows the most intensive dairy and beef farmers to increase the output of the sector in a sustainable way and achieve the potential of the industry identified in the Department of Agriculture’s 2020 strategy. “The Government has failed to identify alternatives for the intensive pig and poultry sector and has an obligation to continue the current arrangements for this sector until an alternative is identified.”

Ms Ward added that grain farmers have suffered three years of heavy losses and this review of the nitrates regulation presents an opportunity to improve competitiveness by permanently lifting the ban on winter ploughing and the requirement for green cover. “In addition current allowable nitrogen application rates for spring malting barley are negatively impacting on malting barley quality specifications and must be raised to meet the required brewers’ requirements,” Ms Ward concluded.