Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context

102. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he is aware of the report undertaken by the Joint Committee on Climate, Environment and Energy regarding pollution in Lady's Island Lake; the measures his Department or agencies related to his Department are undertaking to respond to the report; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [66952/25]

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Senator Noonan and I have raised the environmental damage at Lady's Island Lake on several occasions in both Houses. I welcome the recent announcement of funding by the Minister for housing, Deputy Browne, for Wexford County Council to help tackle the issue. What is the Minister's Department and the agencies associated with it doing in response to the report of the joint committee regarding the pollution in Lady's Island Lake.

Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I thank Deputy O'Gorman for raising this point.

I am aware of the joint committee's report regarding Lady's Island Lake and I am working closely with my colleague, the Minister of State, Deputy O’Sullivan, who is leading the Government's engagement in this area. My Department, along with Teagasc experts, are centrally engaged in the interdepartmental Lady’s Island oversight group led by Wexford County Council, which also involves the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, the local authorities waters programme, LAWPRO, and the National Parks and Wildlife Service, NPWS.

Wexford County Council, with the guidance of the interdepartmental group, has developed a site-specific action plan to address the challenges faced by Lady's Island Lake within the framework and mechanisms of the water action plan 2024. The recent announcement of funding by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage to support this work aims to support development of the Lady’s Island Lake sustainable farming and communities water quality management plan, which will facilitate a holistic approach to improve water quality in this coastal lagoon.

In the Lady's Island Lake catchment, my Department, along with the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, is funding free confidential advisory support for farmers through the agricultural sustainability support and advisory programme, commonly known as ASSAP. Under that programme, ASSAP advisers are working in the lake's catchment to identify appropriate on-farm measures to address the challenges faced by the lake. The farming for water European Innovation Partnership, EIP, led by LAWPRO, is working in partnership with Teagasc and Dairy Industry Ireland in the lake's catchment area. Through this EIP, my Department is providing €50 million nationally in funding for specific targeted on-farm actions which go beyond regulatory requirements.

A significant number of farming for water EIP applications have already been completed in the lake's catchment area.

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The problems in Lady's Island Lake are not new. The reports of pollution there go back as far as the early 1980s. Every few years it seems the problems get so big that there is a call for action and that is usually dealt with through the breaching of the sand spit at the southern end of the lake. The EPA report from January, which the Green Party would credit with sounding the alarm, could not have been clearer about what is needed, namely, enforce existing regulations on agricultural nutrients entering the lake, help farmers change practices and improve the buffer zones around the water sources that flow into the lake. Will the Minister of State, Deputy Christopher O'Sullivan, be taking a leading role in engaging with local farmers? I was glad to hear the Minister mention the European Innovation Partnership. This was quite successful nearby, at Duncannon beach, in dealing with pollution. I ask the Minister for some detail about the innovation project that is being designed to support farmers specifically around Lady's Island Lake?

Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Yes, I can confirm that the Minister of State, Deputy O'Sullivan, is taking the lead on this but we are working closely in consultation. I am not deflecting in saying this, but it will be worth raising this point with the Minister of State as well because he is dealing with it on a day-to-day basis. We are providing, as I said, financial support of €50 million through the ASSAP programme. I agree with the Deputy that it is a really positive programme. It is leading to great work being done, not just in the Lady's Island catchment area but by thousands of farmers all over the country taking on voluntary additional conditionality.

In addition, EU and nationally funded schemes, such as the agri-climate and rural environmental scheme, ACRES, and the targeted agricultural modernisation scheme, TAMS, are available to farmers in the catchment. Again, these benefit water quality by incentivising farmers to go above and beyond regulatory requirements. We see the demand for TAMS, with 6,100 applications in the most recent tranche, which is double the number traditionally. Farmers are investing in water quality, increased nutrient storage and low-emission slurry spreading, and we are supporting them to do those things through TAMS.

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I just would like to bring the discussion back to Lady's Island Lake specifically because there is a real opportunity here to take measures that will restore the lake to a functioning ecological system. We are still in the dark about some of the specific details about what is happening. Have farming inspections around Lady's Island Lake increased? Have there been inspections of septic tanks? Has there been engagement with Irish Water about the treatment plant at the lake? I know people are concerned about that as well. Local campaigners are worried that in a couple of years' time, we will be back here making the same points across the floor. We have a model that works, the innovation partnership model funded by the EU. It has worked in other areas, and it also is effective in that it does not scapegoat farmers. It recognises that they are stewards of the land and it helps them to adapt without risking their own livelihood. We have the willingness to draw together the relevant actors here, but we need clarity on the steps that have been taken so far. If the Minister does not have all that information here, he can come back to me in writing with the extra detail, which would be appreciated.

Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I will do so. I agree with the Deputy that this is about partnership. As with all areas related to addressing environmental challenges, the partnership approach is what works really well. As I stated, Wexford County Council, with the guidance of the interdepartmental group, has developed a site-specific action plan to address the challenges faced by Lady's Island Lake within the framework and mechanisms of the Water Action Plan 2024. The recent announcement of funding by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage to support this work aims to support the development of Lady's Island Lake sustainable farming and community's water quality management plan. That is the very specific approach the Deputy is talking about. Separate from that, my Department is working closely with the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage to develop Ireland's next nitrates action programme, which is due to apply from January 2026, with the objective of reducing and preventing water pollution caused by nitrates from agricultural sources. These proposals for the next nitrates action programme are currently out to public consultation and that is due to be completed on 1 December.