Local authorities are set to carry out nitrates related inspections on at least 3,300 farms this year.
But this will increase to 4,500 farms in 2025, Fintan Towey, assistant secretary of the water division, Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, told the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine tonight (Wednesday, March 20).
Towey also highlighted to the committee that Local Authority inspection reports show that in 2022 “approximately 30% of farms inspected were noncompliant” with the Good Agricultural Practice for Protection of Waters Regulations (GAP).
“Agriculture is the most significant pressure on waters posing a risk to over 1,000 waterbodies,” he also stated.
The Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage is responsible for the Nitrates Action Programmes (NAP), the GAP Regulations and the national River Basin Management Plan.
According to Towey presently “54% of over 4,800 waterbodies are achieving their environmental objective of at least good status”.
But he said 46% are not according to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) monitoring.
“We urgently need to demonstrate improvements in water quality where our waterbodies are not achieving at least good status, and ensure there is no deterioration in those waterbodies that are achieving at least good status,” Towey added.
Nitrates derogation
Towey warned that if Ireland is to maintain its nitrates derogation at its current level while improving water quality, “full compliance with the GAP Regulations” must be achieved.
“However, we must face the reality that a significant reduction in nitrogen loads being lost to water in the catchments of concern identified by the EPA will be necessary to resolve eutrophication problems in their receiving coastal waters.
“It is our view that farm advisory services and agri-industry will be essential in supporting farmers to achieve compliance with the regulations. Their advice on reducing nitrogen loads will also be essential,” he added.
The committee also heard that “compliance with the regulations is the critical first step to ensuring the protection and improvement of water quality”.
But Towey stressed that “because of the diversity of Irish landscape, the NAP alone will not deliver all Water Framework Directive objectives where agriculture is a pressure”.