Minister of State for Nature, Heritage and Electoral Reform Malcom Noonan has said that farms will be assessed for their level of nitrates run-off under the latest action plan on how rivers are managed and protected.
Mr Noonan told RTÉ radio’s Morning Ireland that he agreed with Dr Eimear Cotter of the Environmental Agency (EPA) who said that the progress to date was “really disappointing” as an EPA report in June indicated there had been no overall improvement in water quality in rivers, lakes and groundwaters in 2023.
The three core aims of the River Basin Management plan are to reduce and prevent pollution, to let more rivers run free and restore their natural ecosystem functions, and continued investment in water infrastructure.
Mr Noonan said there had been good strides in terms of climate action and biodiversity, but the area in which there had not been progress was water quality. The new River Basin Management plan was going to make “significant strides” and was “a marked departure from previous plans.”
Retaining the nitrates derogation was important, which would require a science-based and evidence-based approach, he said.
To ensure that, 60 new staff would be employed by local authorities to carry out increased inspections. Each agency had a role to play in the implementation of the plan.
The new Nitrates Action Programme will bring in tighter controls and application of methods.
The additional 60 new staff are going to carry out further inspections on 4500 farms every year, he added. This will support farmers to carry out the right measures to prevent runoff.
The new plan also includes a review of the Arterial Drainage Act which dates back to 1945.
“It's a completely antiquated, outdated piece of legislation. It really is not fit for purpose in an area where we're talking about nature restoration. So I think it's critically important that a review is carried out comprehensively.”
