Government gives €700,000 to tackle pollution at Wexford lake
By Gráinne Ní Aodha, PA
The Government has allocated €700,000 to Wexford County Council to restore the ecological condition of a lake that has turned green.
Lady’s Island Lake, the largest saltwater lagoon in Ireland, has turned green due to the level of algae pollution from nutrient run-off.
The lagoon surrounds Our Lady’s Island, which is an area of pilgrimage, and has secured legal protection as a habitat for wildfowl.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said the lake was “severely degraded” due to overflows of nitrogen and possibly phosphorus, commonly used as agricultural fertilisers.
The EPA said Lady’s Island Lake “exemplifies” the problems involved in managing Irish lagoons and said, even if the run-off issue was addressed, nutrients in the lagoon’s sediments could continue to affect its ecology.
On Friday, Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage James Browne and Minister of State Christopher O’Sullivan visited the lake and met officials from Wexford County Council.
The €700,000 in funding for the council aims to support the development of a Water Quality Management Plan for Lady’s Island and to project manage a holistic approach to improve the water quality.
This includes measures to address excess nutrients from agriculture, domestic wastewater treatment plants (septic tanks) and urban wastewater treatment plants entering the lake.
The politicians also met officials from the National Parks and Wildlife Service, Local Authority Waters Programme, Teagasc, representatives from Farming for Water EIP and the Agricultural Sustainability Support and Advisory Programme (ASSAP) who are advancing plans to address the deterioration of the saline lagoon’s water quality and ecology.
Mr Browne said: “The 700,000 euro in funding I am announcing this morning will resource Wexford County Council to coordinate a response among the Government departments, state bodies and the local community in Lady’s Island.
“I am confident that by continuing to work collaboratively, using all the tools available to us through my department’s funding of initiatives under the Water Action Plan, the Nitrates Action Plan, Uisce Eireann’s capital investment plan and the National Biodiversity Plan, serious improvements can be made here at Lady’s Island.
“Whilst the additional funding announced today will support Wexford County Council’s coordinating role, significant funding and support for the restoration of Lady’s Island is already under way through the programmes such as those run by LAWPRO through catchment science and local community engagement; National Agricultural Inspection Programme (NAIP) inspectors in the local authorities, who are responsible for investigating farm compliance with the Good Agricultural Practice (GAP) Regulations; free advisory services through the ASSAP programme and direct support for supplementary measures to improve water quality, through the Farming for Water EIP.”
Mr O’Sullivan said that progress had been made since the establishment of the oversight group in July.
“The group has quickly come together to identify the specific response required for Lady’s Island, using the principle of implementing ‘the right measure in the right place’.
“The combined strengths of the agencies involved and collaborative initiatives such as the Farming for Water EIP is vital for effective, holistic action for Lady’s Island Lake.
“It may take some time to see the results of those inputs and effort, but the commitment of the stakeholders involved and the local community here is clear to see and I look forward to being kept appraised of progress.”
