LAWPRO in partnership with Teagasc / ASSAP and Dairy Industry Ireland (DII) submitted a bid for funding in a competitive call under the European Innovation Partnerships (EIP) initiative of Ireland’s Rural Development Programme in 2023. A budget of €50m over 5 years has been allocated to the project. The Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage is funding the administrative costs of the Water EIP with €10m allocated over 5 years.
The project specifically focuses on reducing losses of phosphorus, nitrogen, sediment and, where relevant, pesticides to water from agricultural lands by promoting the adoption of innovative best practice in nutrient management, the application of nature-based Natural Water Retention Measures (NWRM) and other suitable measures at the farm level following the principals of Integrated Catchment Management (ICM) and science.
A Water EIP Research hub has been established and involves researchers from a number of institutions including University College Cork, University College Dublin, Dundalk Institute of Technology, Atlantic Technical University and the James Hutten Institute UK. This innovative approach will complement core project evaluation and will facilitate input from the academic community and applied research.
A pilot phase of farm visits was held throughout October 2023 to test the efficacy of the approach. 47 farms were engaged by ASSAP advisors across several farm sectors including tillage, dairy and dry stock.
The farms were selected to ensure a variety of agricultural pressures were represented. These visits have validated the proposed process and have also led to a refinement of the measures to provide clarity for both advisors and farmers. The refined measures was further tested at the end of January 2024 when the Water EIP was rolled out to a group of approximately 50 farmers in the Castleisland area who are suppliers of the Kerry Co-op, in tandem with the Kerry Evolve Sustainability Scheme.
DAFM and DHLGH together with our project partners are fully engaged in the delivery of this project to ensure learnings inform policy. The grant payment system has been established and the first grants have already been paid to farmers.
The supports provided through the Water EIP initiative are invaluable in helping to improve water quality and to ensure that the agriculture sector is compliant with the Nitrates Action Programme.
LAWPRO operates across all sectors providing support for the River Basin Management Plans, through catchment science, community engagement and coordination with the implanting bodies within the RBMP structures set up in support of Ireland’s objectives under the EU Water Framework Directive. Considerable engagement also takes place with private industries and research institutes.
LAWPRO’s Catchment Assessment Team is tasked with responsibility for undertaking scientific local catchment assessments in Priority Areas for Action (PAAs) nationwide under the River Basin Management Plan for Ireland, to better determine the implementation of water quality actions.
While LAWPRO does not possess enforcement powers, we collaborate extensively with various implementing bodies such as for example Government Departments, Local Authorities, Teagasc, Uisce Éireann, Office of Public Works (OPW), National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) and many others. We provide evidence-based science to inform the better targeting of measured implementation. An example of this is the prioritisation of high-status waters in the ACRES Co-operation project and implementation of measures to address the reversal in water quality declines seen within the project areas.
For agricultural pressures within the PAAs, LAWPRO works closely with our partners in the Agricultural Sustainability Support and Advice Programme (ASSAP). ASSAP advisors provide farmers with a free and confidential advisory service around water quality and seek to work together with farmers and their own advisors, to devise strategies that minimise nutrient losses and other agricultural pressures on our water bodies. The programme is focussed on supplementary measures that are voluntary in nature i.e., measures that are over and above mandatory measures required under the GAP or Nitrates Regulations.
LAWPRO’s Catchment Assessment Team are, however, only a single cog in the wheel that is the larger ongoing effort to restore and protect water quality in Ireland. This collaborative approach is dependent on the continued efforts of local authorities and various other national and regional stakeholders and agencies.
Our Community Water Officers, operating at both water body and catchment scales, remain dedicated to raising water quality awareness, fostering community group capacity, supporting environmental training, and promoting citizen science initiatives. Furthermore, they work to strengthen the bonds between public bodies, funders, and communities, which notably include the farming community.
The best way to get involved is to speak to your ASSAP advisor and they will be able to determine if you are eligible for the project.