I have been contacted by numerous members of the north Tipperary branch of the Irish Farmers Association conveying serious reservations about the dangers involved in the use of low-emissions slurry spreading equipment. From 1 January 2025, the majority of farmers will be banned from using splash plates on their farms under good agricultural practice guidelines.

This blanket ban on splash plates will lead to greater health and safety risks for farmers spreading slurry - this is the important point - on the slopes of north Tipperary, including large tracts of hillside across Upperchurch, Borrisoleigh, Templederry, Silvermines, Newport, Ballywilliam and Portroe. These costly new tanks and attachment are doing excellent work on low-level ground and serving the intended environmental purpose. However, the same tractor and tank are totally unsuitable for hillside land. The tractor-attached equipment creates a serious imbalance, which will inevitably lead to life-threatening incidents. Farmers using this expensive equipment on slopes are endangering their lives. Rather than a blanket implementation, could we agree on a compromise solution to address the problems of hillside farmers?

I thank Deputy Lowry for raising this question. He has been fair in saying that many Irish farmers have moved to embrace low-emission slurry spreading technology. That is facilitating improved nutrient use efficiency, farm profitability and air quality. There are issues from January onward in terms of obligations. I will talk to the Minister for agriculture in respect of this. Under the targeted agriculture modernisation schemes, TAMS, grant aid in excess of €76 million was paid over the period 2016 to 2023 to support farmers investing in the necessary low-emission slurry spreading equipment. Grant aid continues to be available at a rate of up to 60%. The Deputy is talking about health and safety issues on hilly grounds. I will talk to the Minister in respect of that.