€700,000 funds for Duncannon water
DUNCANNON is to benefit from €700,000 in grant funding to improve its water quality over the next three years following a successful application by Wexford County Council.
Funded under the European Innovation Partnerships Initiative (EIP), the funding application by agricultural scientist Mairead Shore and council executive scientist Brendan Cooney to the Department of Agriculture, was one of 12 chosen from 100 applications nationally.
In total around €11m is being allocated to 12 new EIPs.
Mr Cooney said the impact of agriculture on water quality in Duncannon is ‘a big area we need to tackle’. ‘We were talking with the Department of Agriculture who said they were interested in what we were doing. We had already started a number of smaller citizen’s science projects in the area in conjunction with the Department of Agriculture and Environment and the EPA.’
Having been advised to apply for large funding streams, Dr Shore submitted a proposal.
‘It will be like the Burren Life project, working with farmers,’ Mr Cooney said.
Grant aid will be provided to some farmers to help improve practices resulting in less damage to water quality in Duncannon, which does not have a blue flag due to the lack of provision of a sewerage plant in the area by successive governments. An Environmental Agricultural Scientist will be hired over the coming weeks on a three year contract to work with farmers in Duncannon, in conjunction with Glanbia and the Department of Environment.
Mr Cooney said the large sewage pipe leading into the water at the beach is another issue which needs to be addressed.
‘Water pollution in Duncannon results from a combination of factors including the pipe, people with septic tanks and seepage from cattle crossing roads due to an intensification of dairying. We want to minimise this. Scientists will be pointing out to farmers how to improve practices. Some mightn’t be aware there are grants available and that we need to change the way we look at how things are done and teach them different ways.’
Teagasc have also come on board. ‘ This is a big positive for the area,’ Mr Cooney said.