294. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine for an update regarding the enforcement of nitrate pollution related to farming; if his attention has been drawn to algal blooms, related to the overuse of nitrates, causing discoloration and other issues to the water supply; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54254/25]
Topics / Nitrates Usage
A subject heading for parliamentary questionsNitrates Usage
52 questions from 26 TDs, between 22 January 2025 and 9 July 2026.
52
questions
51 written, 1 oral
26
TDs have asked
9
parties and groups
Independents counted together
1
departments asked
Questions per month
The record holds no questions for August, when the Dáil does not sit.
Jan 2025Oct 2026
Show as a table
| Month | Questions |
|---|---|
| January 2025 | 1 |
| February 2025 | 1 |
| March 2025 | 3 |
| April 2025 | 0 |
| May 2025 | 4 |
| June 2025 | 0 |
| July 2025 | 7 |
| August 2025 | 0 |
| September 2025 | 5 |
| October 2025 | 8 |
| November 2025 | 11 |
| December 2025 | 1 |
| January 2026 | 2 |
| February 2026 | 0 |
| March 2026 | 0 |
| April 2026 | 8 |
| May 2026 | 0 |
| June 2026 | 0 |
| July 2026 | 1 |
| August 2026 | 0 |
| September 2026 | 0 |
| October 2026 | 0 |
Who asks, by party
The party each TD belonged to on the day, in alphabetical order. Parties differ a lot in size, and members of the Government answer questions rather than ask them, so this shows who raised it, not how much a party cares about it.
The TDs who asked most
Members of the Government answer questions rather than ask them. Each question counts once.
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4
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3
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3
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3
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3
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3
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2
Asked of
Debated under the same heading
Debates whose official heading is exactly these words.
The questions
295. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his views on whether existing regulations are adequate to prevent the excessive use of nitrates leading to potential run off into the water system; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54255/25]
300. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the outcome of the most recent discussions he has had with the EU Commission and at the Agriculture Council in relation to the retention of the Nitrates Derogation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54531/25]
498. Deputy Ryan O'Meara asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine for a breakdown of derogation farms by farm size and number of dairy cows, as per tables (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53942/25]
151. Deputy Ryan O'Meara asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his Department carries out tests to verify the protection coating on protected urea; if testing is carried out, the procedures on same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52253/25]
155. Deputy Ryan O'Meara asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the total number of fertiliser samples taken by his Department to date in 2025; the number of samples tested in the same period that were outside the required standards; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52280/25]
1843. Deputy John Clendennen asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine for an update on a derogation rejection (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47393/25]
1844. Deputy John Clendennen asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the average decision wait time following a Department inspection for a nitrates derogation application; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47394/25]
1845. Deputy John Clendennen asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the average timeframe for an appeals decision in the case of a nitrates derogation application rejection; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47395/25]
1846. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the up-to-date position at EU level regarding the need to retain the nitrates derogation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47398/25]
1848. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the progress on the all-island bioeconomy demonstrator projects, including locations, themes, capital works, co-funding with DAERA and industry engagement; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47403/25]
2180. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will seek clarity on the EU Commission's proposed changes to the derogation and its potential impact on Irish farmers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41680/25]
2211. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the progress to date in obtaining an extension of the nitrates derogation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43241/25]
2215. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to outline the recent engagements he and his Department have had with the EU regarding the nitrates derogation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43295/25]
2225. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the outcome of discussions he has had to date with the EU Agriculture and Environment Commissioners and at the Agriculture Council on the need to retain the nitrates derogation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43616/25]
95. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will provide an update on the improvements to water quality during the lifetime of the fifth nitrates action programme in Ireland, which runs from 2022 to 2025, and in particular since the reduction in the maximum organic manure limit from 250 kg N/ha to 220 kg N/ha being implemented in targeted areas in January 2024; and if h…
137. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he is satisfied there is enough in the 1 January 2026 sixth nitrates action programme for Ireland to address water pollution from agricultural sources, specifically nitrates, and ensure no further erosion of the maximum organic manure limits from 220 kg N/ha; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35554/25]
197. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine for an update in relation to the retention of the Nitrates Derogation as per the Nitrates Derogation Renewal Plan published in August 2024; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36366/25]
116. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the status of the advancement of work to prepare the nitrates plan for submission to Brussels by the required date in June 2025; if measures to protect the sustainability of Ireland's agricultural industry will be a priority in it; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25499/25]
159. Deputy Cathy Bennett asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he expects the nitrates derogation will be renewed; by which time it will be renewed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24883/25]
358. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if it is intended to bring forward a nitrates derogation action plan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22213/25]
322. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the progress to date in ensuring that the State retains the Nitrates Derogation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22013/25]
144. Deputy Paula Butterly asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he is satisfied that there is an understanding of the importance of the Nitrates derogation among EU counterparts; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13814/25]
620. Deputy Paula Butterly asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to report on the work underway with regard to the Nitrates derogation given its importance of sectors of Irish farming; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13815/25]
1293. Deputy Noel McCarthy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to outline the current actions being taken by his Department with regard to the possible retention of the nitrates derogation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12578/25]