Collection

Nitrates Derogation Environmental Assessments

From: Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine
Published on: 1 September 2026
Last updated on: 10 September 2026

Ireland’s Nitrates Derogation is availed of by approximately 7,000 farmers, predominately dairy farmers. It permits them to farm at higher stocking rates than are generally allowed under EU law, based on justifiable scientific provisions within the Nitrates Directive, which take account of Ireland’s unique climate and pasture-based system. These farmers are subject to increased levels of regulation designed to ensure that water quality is not negatively impacted.

In December 2025, the Irish Government successfully secured a three-year extension to Ireland’s Nitrates Derogation covering the period 2026-2028, subject to additional conditions. One of the conditions is a requirement that the impact of granting individual nitrates derogations must be assessed with respect to the objectives of the Habitats Directive and the Water Framework Directive. This requirement for more detailed assessments arises from evolving case law at a European level. The Government is committed to completing these assessments as required by the end of 2028.

As part of ongoing stakeholder engagement around the assessment process, the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine has published a Catchment Overview Report for each of the 46 river catchments identified in Ireland under the Water Framework Directive.

The Catchment Overview Reports aim to inform interested parties regarding information specific to each catchment, and the associated datasets, that will be considered during the assessment process. These reports do not interpret or pass any judgement on those data or pre-empt the outcome of the environmental assessment in any way.

The purpose of the Catchment Overview Reports is to share key information relating to ecology, water, soil and agriculture at catchment scale.

The 46 reports are available to view below.

A brief Question and Answer document can also be found below.

Contact: derogation.assessment@agriculture.gov.ie