There are "no plans at this time to further review" the Good Agricultural Practice for Protection of Waters regulations (GAP regulations), according to Minister Martin Heydon.

The GAP regulations set out the periods when the application of manures to land is prohibited.

These are often termed the 'closed period' with these regulations signed into law by the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, James Browne.

GAP regulations

"The GAP regulations also set out the circumstances when soiled water, organic or chemical fertilisers must not be applied to land during the open spreading period," Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Martin Heydon said.

"These include when the land is waterlogged, flooded or likely to flood, or when Met Éireann forecasts heavy rain within 48 hours."

The minister was responding to questions from Cork North Central TD Colm Burke.

Deputy Burke asked the minister his views on his "department's research and analysis of the current closed period model for the restriction of slurry and chemical fertiliser".

He asked if issues have been highlighted by farmers to his department in relation to this model.

The TD also asked if "consideration will be given to the provision of a more flexible model of the closed period for the restriction of slurry and chemical fertiliser, in order that farmers can work with Ireland’s unpredictable weather conditions".

Research

The minister said that "underpinning the need for a closed period", there is "clear research highlighting that the closed period aligns with periods of highest risk for nutrient loss from land".

"In 2016, Teagasc's Agricultural Catchments Programme (ACP) published the findings of a four-year assessment of nutrient losses from five different intensively managed Irish agricultural catchments," Minister Heydon said.

"It identified that during the winter months there was a significantly greater proportion of nutrients being lost from agricultural land to water."

Where there are unseasonably wet periods, this ACP research also identified higher than normal nutrient losses, the minister said.

"This validates the requirement for farmers to also adhere to the GAP regulations' requirements regarding circumstances when nutrients must not be applied during the open spreading period," he explained.

"From an agricultural perspective, we need to all work together to reduce the loss of nutrients to water.

"Full compliance with the GAP regulations during the closed and open periods for nutrient application must be a key element of this."

Campaign

The minister said that ensuring application of fertiliser and organic manure at appropriate times and conditions is a "key action" under Teagasc's current 'Better Farming for Water – 8 Actions for Change’ campaign.

"This multi-actor advisory campaign commenced in 2024 at my department's request to support farmers to make the right decisions in terms of applying nutrient, be it slurry or chemical fertiliser, thereby reducing nutrient losses to water," the minister added.

"The GAP regulations were recently reviewed and updated in December 2025 and there are no plans at this time to further review."