What do the €50m EIP grants to improve water quality mean?

While farmers might be happy to fence off a watercourse, having an alternative drink supply is the key thing for improving water quality.

Farmers will get €50m in Water EIP grants for water improvement on their farms. But the biggest prize could be the preservation of Ireland's nitrates derogation, on which so many farmers depend heavily.

Over the next two years, Ireland must convince Brussels that we are entitled to a nitrates derogation. It will be a race against time, not least because of the delay between making changes on farms and seeing benefits in water quality.