Eamon Gilmore
Ceist:201 Mr. Gilmore asked the Minister for the Environment (a) the farm surveys on water pollution which were carried out in 1989 and the result of these surveys and (b) the surveys which are being carried out in the current year.
Written Answers. - Farm Pollution Surveys.
The complete statistics for farm surveys carried out by local authorities in 1989 are not yet available. However, provisional returns indicate that over 5,000 farms were surveyed countrywide, and that approximately 2,500 of these fell into the medium or high pollution risk categories.
A circular issued to local authorities earlier this year asked them to consider further farm surveys in 1990, especially in areas of high pollution risk. The Minister for Agriculture and Food has co-operated by making a special allocation available to allow farm development services personnel to participate in the surveys. Areas of particular importance have received special attention; for example, over 250 farms in the Lee catchment have already been surveyed this year. More detailed information will be available when returns have been received from all local authorities.