This article is from page 38 of the 2007-03-27 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 38 JPG
THE IFA looks set to go to war with the Department of the Environment once more over the controversial ni- trate regulations.
Speaking in Cork late last week IFA President, Padraig Walshe, slammed the Department of the Environment for it’s “complete inaction” on the 1s- sue and for failing to introduce the necessary legislation and publish de- tails of the nitrates derogation, which are long overdue.
The IFA President has written to the Minster for the Environment, Dick Roche, calling on him to hon- our the commitment given to farmers in the Sustaining Progress Partner- ship Agreement and to immediately
transpose the nitrates derogation into Irish Law.
“The nitrates regulations limit stocking levels to 0.8 livestock units per acre while the introduction of the derogation would increase this stocking rate to 1.2 livestock units per acre,” he said.
“It is completely unacceptable that the derogation, which was approved at a meeting of the EU Nitrates Com- mittee in Brussels almost five months ago, has still not being signed into Irish legislation today.
“More than over 16,000 farmers are affected by the Government’s indecision on this serious issue and these farmers are now extremely concerned about the cross-compli- ance implications which may face
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Walshe contrasted the energy and resources committed by the Gov- ernment to Farm Inspections last November and December with the indifference and inaction now being shown on this important issue for Dunno ace
“Commercial farmers find them- selves in a limbo, not knowing the stocking levels they can carry for 2007, even though it is now March and farmers are making herd man- agement and breeding decisions for this coming year.
“Minister Roche must sign the ni- trates derogation into law immedi- ately.”
The IFA leader is due to meet with the Minister for the Environment,
Dick Roche, on this issue early this week.
The issue of nitrates first erupted last year with the farming organi- sation finding themselves at logger- heads with the Department of the Environment over the instigation of strict EU limits on the amount of nitrates and phosphates that farmers elt eter
This resulted in major divisions in the farming community with the IFA and Macra na Feirme withdrawing support for Teagasc over their role in the controversy.
The nitrate scandal also saw the IFA withdraw from the social part- nerships negations before Christmas before eventually returning when a number of concessions were made