A new water action plan has set out a roadmap to restore Ireland’s waterbodies to good status or better and protect against further deterioration in quality through to 2027.

As revealed by the Irish Farmers Journal last month, the plan will see up to 6,200 water quality inspections take place each year on farms.

Key actions in the plan include tighter controls on the use of fertilisers that affect water quality and a greater focus on compliance and enforcement, with over 60 new staff at local level.

In addition, continued investment in wastewater infrastructure will see Uisce Éireann investing a multi-billion euro budget over the period 2025 to 2029 to reduce impacts on water quality, a new national river barriers mitigation programme will ramp up efforts to remove river-blocks that impact on species such as salmon and lamprey swimming upstream to spawn and a review of arterial drainage requirements and the underpinning Arterial Drainage Act will be undertaken in the context of land use.

Clean up rivers

Speaking at the launch of the 'Water Action Plan 2024: Ireland’s third River Basin Management Plan' on the banks of the River Nore at Grennan Mill, Thomastown, Co Kilkenny, Minister for Nature Malcolm Noonan said it is well past time to clean up our rivers, lakes and coasts.

“There are three core aims: to prevent and reduce water pollution, to let more rivers run free and restore their natural ecosystem functions and to continue the positive trajectory of investment in water infrastructure.

"This new plan will deliver on this through an approach that embeds better governance, co-ordination and accountability, putting tighter controls, more inspections and a focus on enforcement alongside a stronger evidence base for actions that tackle the right problems in the right places.

“Crucially, communities are at the heart of the effort and will be empowered to understand the challenges in their area and get involved in solving them through new participation structures.

"As our population grows and our climate changes, it’s vital that everyone puts their shoulder to the wheel to protect the vulnerable water resources that we all depend on.”