The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) has received a total of 7,238 online applications for the 2024 nitrates derogation by the closing date on April 26.
In addition to the online applications, however, there are a number of cases where manual applications were submitted and these are “still being processed”, the DAFM confirmed.
These will be accepted in “limited circumstances”, for example where an application was made on behalf of the representative of a deceased herd owner, the DAFM said.
“Therefore, the final number of submitted applications will only be known when all checks on manual applications have been completed,” the DAFM confirmed to Agriland.
Nitrates derogation
Meanwhile, Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue has said that all of government is “committed” to work to ensure that Ireland will retain its derogation beyond 2025.
Minister McConalogue will finalise a plan which outlines how the government will work to secure the nitrates derogation. This plan will build on the work of the Agriculture Water Quality Working Group.
Ireland has availed of a derogation since 2006. The current nitrates derogation, which allows farms to be stocked at a maximum of 220kg of organic nitrogen (N) per hectare or 250kg N/ha, runs until the end of 2025.