Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 7 October 2025
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]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe following data is based on the 6,824 remaining applicants for the 2024 Nitrates Derogation when those who withdrew their applications and those deemed ineligible arising from my Department's checks are excluded. Please note checks have not fully concluded regarding the 2024 Nitrates Derogation so this data is subject to change.
Table 1 below provides a breakdown of 2024 derogation farms by farm size. Table 2 shows the 2024 derogation farms with dairy cows broken-down by the average number of dairy cows held on each of those farms across the year 2024.
The total number of farmers covered by Table 1 is greater than the number covered by Table 2 as not all derogation applicants are dairy farmers.
Table 1 breakdown of 2024 derogation farms by farm size (hectares, Ha)
|
Farm Size |
Number of Farmers |
|
<10 Ha |
50 |
|
11 – 20 Ha |
141 |
|
21 – 30 Ha |
341 |
|
31 – 40 Ha |
648 |
|
41 – 60 Ha |
1628 |
|
61 – 80 Ha |
1434 |
|
80 Ha + |
2582 |
Table 2 breakdown of 2024 derogation farms with dairy cows
|
Number of Dairy Cows |
Number of Farmers |
|
< 20 Cows |
90 |
|
21 – 40 Cows |
201 |
|
41 – 60 Cows |
593 |
|
61 – 80 Cows |
868 |
|
81 – 100 Cows |
985 |
|
101 – 130 Cows |
1218 |
|
131 – 150 Cows |
569 |
|
151 – 200 Cows |
807 |
|
201 – 300 Cows |
597 |
|
300 Cows + |
321 |
