The EU’s Environment Commissioner, Jessika Roswall, will visit Ireland next month, the government has confirmed.
It comes as ministers step up their case to try to convince the EU to extend Ireland’s Nitrate Derogation.
An EU opt-out for Irish farmers could expire at the end of the year without a new agreement.
The Nitrates Directive came into force in 1991. Its objective is to protect water quality from agricultural pollution and to promote the use of good farming practices.
But Ireland has always insisted that its wet climate made the limits set by the law impossible for farmers.
For that reason, Ireland has always been able to get an opt-out.
That allows Irish farmers to spread more manure on the land.
Under normal circumstances, farmers are not allowed to apply more than 170 kilograms of organic nitrogen per hectare per year on their land, however, with the derogation, that limit has been increased to 250 kilograms.
The current derogation is due to expire at the end of this year.
When she came into office in 2024, Jessika Roswall appeared to indicate that she would consider granting Ireland another derogation.
The government knows that it will need to show the EU that it is making progress in cleaning up water pollution.
Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon TD, said last week that the derogation was essential for Ireland.
“Improving water quality and securing an extension of Ireland’s nitrates derogation are a key Government priority and I remain committed to supporting farmers to achieve these twin objectives.”
The government has announced that the agriculture ministry will receive an additional €170 million next year, a 9 percent budget increase. Some of that money will be used with the nitrates derogation in mind.
“The Accelerated Capital Allowance (ACA) for Slurry Storage, a key agri-taxation measure, will be renewed”, said Minister Heydon.
“This allowance will continue to incentivise investment in slurry storage capacity, making an important contribution to the overall effort to secure the retention of the Nitrates Derogation. This relief is being renewed for four years rather than the normal three years, to provide additional certainty for farmers in planning their investments.”
“Since 2015 over €153m has been provided to farm families supporting investments in manure storage and low emission slurry spreading technology under TAMS. There is massive work and investment underway across the agri-food sector to reduce its impact on water. In response to my invitation, the European Commissioner for the Environment, Jessika Roswall, will visit Ireland in November, and we will use that opportunity to demonstrate some of the investments being made by Irish farmers to improve water quality”.
Budget 2026 also continues the funding committed under the €60m European Innovation Partnership “Farming for Water” which is part of Ireland’s CAP Strategic Plan. The budget also continues the Government’s support for Teagasc’s Agricultural Catchments Programme and the ASSAP programme which, working in conjunction with industry, provides free advice to farmers on positive measures they can undertake to improve water quality.