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LAWPRO Director Anthony Coleman speaks at the launch of the Farming for Water EIP

 

Director of Services for the Local Authority Waters Programme (LAWPRO) Anthony Coleman addressed those who attended the launch of the Farming for Water EIP on the shores of Lough Ennel back in March 2024. Here is what he said:

Mayor Liam McDaniel; Ministers McConalogue, Noonan and Hackett; distinguished guests; as Director of the Local Authority Water Programme (LAWPRO) I am delighted to welcome you all the launch of the Water Agricultural European Innovation Partnership (EIP-AGRI) this morning.

First of all, I wish to thank and congratulate David and Roisin Fay for hosting us here on the shores of beautiful Lough Ennell and for their hospitality. The location was specially chosen in recognition of the measures David has already taken to help improve water quality in his locality. So, congratulations David and we look forward to seeing up to 15,000 of your farming colleagues following in your footsteps through the Water EIP. It is important to note that David undertook the measures on his farm under his own initiative and he has proven to be a real leader when it comes to the protection of water quality on his farm. Well done David.

It is also important to note that David and Roisin’s farm is situated within the Dysart water body, identified as a Priority Area for Action under the second cycle of the River Basin Management Plan. This waterbody feeds into the southwestern section of Lough Ennell, near the Lilliput bathing waters. The Lilliput bathing waters have faced challenges due to agricultural pollution, resulting in restrictions on swimming in recent years. Thanks to collaborative efforts involving the local farming community, ASSAP, LAWPRO, EPA, Westmeath County Council, the Lough Ennell Trout Preservation Trust, and Inland Fisheries Ireland, significant improvements have been made. Implementing measures such as closing off cattle drinking points, installing solar pumps and troughs, and enhancing buffer margins have led to a notable decline in pathogens at the Lilliput bathing waters, restoring water quality for bathing and water sports. David will also be applying to the Water EIP for supplementary measures to further protect the bathing water.

In late 2022, the Lough Ennell Trout Preservation Association secured LEADER and LAWPRO funding for an integrated catchment management plan for Lough Ennell. Stakeholder consultation was completed and a draft plan open for public consultation was prepared in Autumn 2023. LAWPRO, the implementing bodies and the local communities are looking forward to working together to finalise the plan to ensure the future conservation and protection of Lough Ennell and its bathing waters at Lilliput.

All of this work is what has brought us here, but the launch of the Water EIP is why we are here.

In 2023 after a very detailed submission, LAWPRO in collaboration with Teagasc/ASSAP and Dairy Industry Ireland (DII), secured funding through a competitive call under the European Innovation Partnerships (EIP) initiative of Ireland’s Rural Development Programme. This initiative boasts a substantial budget of €50 million over five years, dedicated to engaging up to 15,000 farmers.

Furthermore, the Department of Housing Local Government and Heritage has generously allocated €10 million over five years to cover administrative costs for the Water EIP.

The primary focus of the project, co-partnered by Bord Bia, the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, and the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, centres on mitigating losses of phosphorus, nitrogen, sediment, and pesticides from agricultural lands. We aim to achieve this by advocating for the adoption of innovative best practices in nutrient management, the application of nature-based Natural Water Retention Measures and other suitable strategies at the farm level, guided by the principles of Integrated Catchment Management and science.

We have a dedicated Water EIP team in place, led by Mairead Whitty, and we are eagerly looking forward to making meaningful inroads into the preservation and improvement of water quality throughout the country in collaboration with all our stakeholders and partners.

I wish to thank all our partners and stakeholder, and all of you for taking time out to come here today for what is a very significant event. I also thank Ministers McConalogue, Noonan and Hackett for their presence here with us today.