Liam Kavanagh
Question:82 Mr. Kavanagh asked the Minister for the Environment if he will outline the action he proposes to take to deal with the danger of silage effluent to inland fisheries.
Written Answers. - Farmyard Pollution.
Comprehensive powers are available to local authorities under the Local Government (Water Pollution) Acts, 1977 and 1990 to deal with risks of pollution to inland waters. These powers and other measures have been deployed with considerable success to reduce the number of fish kills caused by agriculture. In 1987, that sector accounted for over 90 such incidents, while in subsequent years farm related fish kills have been in the low to mid-20s. Farm surveys organised by local authorities and conducted by them with the support of Fisheries Board and Farm Development Service personnel have made a major contribution to this improvement.
Important support is also being provided by measures undertaken under the aegis of the Department of Agriculture and Food, which since 1989, has provided grant assistance to farmers undertaking anti-pollution measures under the Programme for the Control of Farmyard Pollution. I understand that by the end of June 1992 storage facilities for 1.7 million cubic metres of farmyard waste, housing for nearly 490,000 animals and storage for 766,000 tonnes of fodder had been provided under this Programme.
My Department and the Department of Agriculture and Food have promoted a greater level of environmental awareness among farmers by a number of means, including the distribution of a booklet on farm pollution.
Teagasc and the farming organisations have also played a significant role in this area. Control of silage effluent features prominently in the advisory and training programmes run by Teagasc which also undertakes a major publicity campaign on the matter each year.