An Taisce: Nitrates derogation decision is a 'bad day for Irish waterways'
The European Commission's Nitrates Committee's decision on Ireland's derogation is a bad day "for everyone who relies on clean quality water in Ireland" An Taisce has said.
Dr. Elaine McGoff, head of advocacy with An Taisce today (Tuesday, December 9) described it as a "shocking decision" and also said it was "a bad day for Irish waterbodies".
Dr. McGoff said the EU Nitrates Directive is an important and necessary EU measure "to protect the pollution of rivers and lakes by the seepage of nitrates from overstocked farmland".
An Taisce
An Taisce has repeatedly called on the commission to remove the derogation from Ireland.
According to Dr. McGoff "the evidence clearly shows Ireland has serious water pollution problem that isn’t getting any better caused largely by agricultural nitrogen".
"Recent Environment Protection Agency (EPA) data on water quality is unambiguous," she added.
"We are going backwards. There are fewer waterbodies at good ecological status now than there were three years ago.
"Simply put, those with responsibility in Ireland have not been holding up our end of the bargain and just keep pushing out the day of reckoning.
"The reality though is that the Irish state has an abysmal track record of failure in protecting Irish waterways from agricultural pollution, despite a whole body of legislation requiring them to do so," Dr. McGoff added.
The head of advocacy with An Taisce believes data would "suggest that the existing derogation has actually led to added pollution, and we see no evidence from government to counter this".
She is of the opinion that in three years time derogation farmers in Ireland will again find themselves "on this economic cliff edge, wholly dependent on the European Commission granting Ireland a derogation".
Sustainable Water Network
Meanwhile the Sustainable Water Network (SWAN) - a network of 25 Irish environmental organisations - said today that "the evidence simply did not exist to justify renewing Ireland’s nitrates derogation".
Sinéad O Brien, SWAN CEO, said: "Science has shown that water quality is not improving; it’s getting worse.
"The current measures under Ireland’s Nitrates Action Programme (NAP) lack a solid evidence base, so they cannot deliver the improvements required by EU law.
"Setting three years to meet many of the conditions in the declaration means that water quality will continue to deteriorate in the meantime and so force farmers into the likelihood of a sudden and difficult adjustment down the line. Meanwhile, our precious water and wildlife suffer.”
