€60m 'Farming for Water' project launched
Agriculture Minister Charlie McConalogue said that the Government "wants to improve water quality and ensure Ireland and Irish farmers secure a nitrates derogation from 2026".
The €60m 'Farming for Water' project aimed at improving water quality at local, catchment and national levels has been launched.
The project is a collaborative approach between the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Housing, working with the agri-food industry to improve water quality.
The Department of Agriculture will support the project through the provision of funding of €50m for participating farmers, co-funded by the national exchequer and the EU, to involve 15,000 farmers in priority areas nationally.
The Department of Housing will provide administrative support for the project to the value of €10m.
Through this European Innovation Partnership (EIP-AGRI) project, an operational group has been established by the Local Authority Waters Programme (LAWPRO), in partnership with Teagasc, Dairy Industry Ireland, and Bord Bia, to work in partnership with farmers in the implementation of several targeted actions at farm level to improve water quality.
Agriculture Minister Charlie McConalogue said that the Government "wants to improve water quality and ensure Ireland and Irish farmers secure a nitrates derogation from 2026".
"The future of our farms, and the families on those farms, are largely dependent on successful water quality outcomes and I am absolutely confident farmers will not be found wanting in delivering those outcomes," Mr McConalogue said.
“This project is a key component in our ongoing efforts to improve water quality and the sustainability of our agricultural practices at a national level - but it is just one element."
Minister of State Pippa Hackett said that this is "our biggest EIP to date, both in terms of funding and in its ambition in relation to the role that agriculture can play in improving water quality and, by extension, the benefits for nature and biodiversity that will accrue as a result".
Dairy Industry Ireland, which spearheaded the application for the project, added that this marks the first EIP to receive funding in Ireland with a national scope.
According to the association, the project will be accessible to all farm types and is part of a broader initiative within Ireland’s agricultural sector to take a leading role in water quality protection and enhancement.
Pat Sheahan, chairman of Dairy Industry Ireland, said that industry recognises the "critical importance of addressing the challenge of preserving our already high water quality and is prepared to engage with stakeholders in a collaborative effort to achieve our objectives".
"Both the Government and the EU Commission have emphasised the necessity of maintaining efforts in water quality protection to uphold the nitrates derogation essential for Ireland’s grass-based agricultural system. This initiative marks another significant step in this direction," Mr Sheahan added.
