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Irish Farmers' Association (IFA) president Francie Gorman has stated that news that the nitrates derogation will remain in place while the High Court deals with the judicial review of the State’s nitrates action plan comes as a relief to farmers.
Gorman was speaking after the High Court delivered its procedural judgement, setting out which issues were to be clarified before the court in relation to the judicial review.
The Department of Housing is defending the plan, which an Taisce claims was not subjected to all environmental impact assessments required under EU law, with the Department contending that the plan is lawful.
“The nitrates action programme and the derogation will stand while these matters are being considered. This will a huge relief for thousands of farm families up and down the country,” Gorman said.
Notice party
“[The] IFA is a notice party in this case and I want to thank the other farmers who put their business information forward to show the impact removing the derogation would have on their farm businesses.
“An Taisce benefit[s] from cost protection orders to take cases such as this to the courts, but farmers do not have any such protection. We have to put our own funds on the line to protect our livelihoods.”
The IFA leader added that he will be asking an Taisce to sit down and have a “rational discussion about these issues” with the association.
“The courtroom is not a place to set policy,” he said.
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