On 17 April 2018, I launched the River Basin Management Plan for Ireland 2018-2021, which is available on my Department's website at the following link:
http://www.housing.gov.ie/sites/default/files/publications/files/rbmp_full_reportweb.pdf.
In accordance with the Water Framework Directive (Directive 2000/60/EC establishing a framework for Community action in the field of water policy), this Plan sets out a comprehensive programme of measures to enhance the quality of water in Ireland's rivers, lakes, estuaries, coastal waters and groundwater. Among these measures is the establishment of the Agricultural Sustainability Support and Advisory Programme (ASSAP) to promote and encourage sustainable farming while meeting stringent water quality requirements. This initiative is an innovative collaboration between Government and industry and is supported by my Department, the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and by Dairy Industry Ireland.
The initiative will support a free one-to-one sustainability advisory service to more than 5,000 farmers to encourage behavioural change, facilitate knowledge transfer and achieve better on-farm environmental outcomes. A total of 30 new Agricultural Sustainability Advisors will be assigned to the programme, 20 of whom will be located in Teagasc while 10 will operate within the dairy processors' organisational structures.
The programme will be funded jointly by my Department, the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and the dairy processors and the details of the funding arrangements are currently the subject of consultation between the relevant organisations. I expect that my Department will provide annual funding in the order of €1 million per annum for the period 2018-2021 to the programme, all of which will be current funding.
No members of staff of my Department will work directly on the programme; instead, my officials will contribute to the governance and oversight of the Programme as part of their normal activity to support the implementation of the Water Framework Directive and its associated environmental goals.
