Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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402. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the Exchequer funding allocated to the sustainability support and advisory programme in each of the years 2018 to 2021; the 2018 funding allocation, current and capital; the number of full- and part-time staff working directly on the programme in his Department; and the annual running costs, including staffing costs, for his Department, in tabular form. [20176/18]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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The 'Sustainability Support and Advisory Programme' is an innovative Government/ industry collaborative initiative and a new approach to achieving improvements in water quality and wider sustainability. It involves the establishment and joint funding between my Department, the Department of Housing, Planning & Local Government (DHPLG) and the Dairy Industry of a resource of 30 Agricultural Sustainability Advisors. 20 Advisors are being jointly funded by my Department and the DHPLG.

These Advisors will receive comprehensive training provided by Teagasc to ensure a consistent and unified approach. The Government funded Advisors will be managed by Teagasc's environmental section with oversight provided by both my Department and DHPLG.

This four year programme supports the goals of the Food Wise 2025 strategy, facilitating increased productivity hand-in-hand with a more sustainable sector. The sustainability and efficiency gains will be achieved through improved nutrient management with more targeted use of fertiliser, better farmyard practice, and the development of new approaches to reducing nutrient losses in critical source areas.

The programme has the potential to strengthen delivery of Ireland's obligations under the Water Framework Directive. It is part of a new approach to River Basin Management Planning for the 2018–2021 cycle. This new approach includes the development of a much-strengthened evidence base to understand the full range of pressures affecting water quality and the development of the programmes of measures needed to deliver improvements. Over time, the Programme will also address on-farm climate change and biodiversity strategies

Under the programme, the new team will promote on-farm sustainability best practice to farmers in 190 priority catchments identified by the EPAs in consultation with other Government agencies and Departments. Furthermore the Dairy Co-ops will support sustainability best practice through their structures, promoting best farmyard and nutrient management practice across all their suppliers.

Projected expenditure details for the 20 Sustainability Advisers and 3 Overhead Personnel, being financed by my Department and DHPLG, are as follows: