Advice on nitrates directive is not included in law, says Teagasc
IRELAND - TEAGASC yesterday disclosed that some vital elements of the advice it had provided on the nitrates directive were not fully included in the final statutory instrument.It said that had this happened, it would have allowed pig farmers access to more grassland farms as an outlet for pig slurry and would have allowed for more flexibility for farmers with less intensive systems of production.
Fine Gael TD Denis Naughten last night said the Environment Minister Dick Roche and Agriculture Minister Mary Coughlan have serious questions to answer over the Teagasc statement.
Teagasc said the advice mainly focused on how soil fertility indices and rates of nitrogen and phosphorus use might be applied in the Irish context.
It emphasised the need to ensure that the legal maximum amounts of nutrients would facilitate commercial farming in an environmentally-friendly manner.
Source: Examiner
26 January 2006
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