Relevant Matter
Matters involving public funds
Public Policy Area
Agriculture
Period
1 Jan, 2024 to 30 Apr, 2024
Specific Details
Low Emissions Slurry Spreading Scheme (LESS)
Intended results
To challenge the condition in the Low Emissions Slurry Spreading Scheme (LESS) that ,‘From the 1st of January 2024 applicants farming at or above 150 kgs/N per hectare (as defined under Statutory Instrument 113/2022) in the year of application or the preceding year are ineligible to apply for LESS equipment'.
To highlight that, given the decision to extend Tranche 2 applications to January 19th 2024, we now have a situation where, even though no approvals have issued yet, applications from farms of similar scale and size will be reviewed very differently, dependent on whether the individual application was made pre or post January 1st 2024.
To emphasise that, unless some flexibility and practicality apply, this will not only create additional workload and administration for the already strained Department of Agriculture, Food, and the Marine officials, but more importantly limit investment undertaken to improve the environmental standing of individual farms, most particularly those operating near threshold margins.
To propose that all Tranche 2 applications made before January 19th are assessed at the 170kg N/ha level. In addition, aside from the need to swiftly roll-out approval decisions in both Tranche 1 and 2 across all Targeted Agriculture Modernisation Scheme (TAMS) schemes, we strongly request that dribble bars are once again included within the list of eligible items within the Low Emissions Slurry Spreading Scheme (LESS) scheme given their potential role in reducing on-farm emissions.
To request a meeting with the Minister for Agriculture, Food, and the Marine to discuss this issue.
Name of person primarily responsible for lobbying on this activity
Francie Gorman IFA President, John Curran IFA Rural Development Chair, Shane Whelan IFA Senior Policy Executive, Rachel Moloney IFA Policy Executive
Did any Designated Public Official(DPO) or former Designated Public Official(DPO) carry out lobbying activities on your behalf in relation to this return? You must include yourself, and answer Yes, if you are a current DPO or a DPO at any time in the past. (What is a Designated Public Official?)
No
Did you manage or direct a grassroots campaign?
No
Was this lobbying done on behalf of a client?
No
Lobbying activity
The following activities occurred for this specific Subject Matter Area.
Designated public officials lobbied
The following DPOs were lobbied during this return period on this specific Subject Matter Area. These DPOs were involved in at least one of the Lobbying Activities listed above, but not necessarily all of them.
As returns are specific to a Subject Matter Area the above Lobbying Activities may be associated with multiple returns.
Charlie McConalogue
Minister (Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine)
Amii McKeever
Adviser to Minister (Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine)