ASSAP Water Quality Meetings

The Teagasc ASSAP advisors are holding a series of meetings around the country for communities and farmers to discuss the current water quality status in their local catchment area. The meetings are supported by advisors from the dairy processing co-ops and by scientists from LAWPRO.

The Teagasc ASSAP advisors are holding a series of meetings around the country for communities and farmers to discuss the current water quality status in their local catchment area.

These meetings are part of the Agricultural Sustainability Support and Advisory Programme (ASSAP), which is a new collaborative approach to facilitate improvements in water quality, bringing all the relevant people and organisations together. The ASSAP advisors are working with farmers in a free and confidential advisory service to help improve water quality.

The purpose of the meetings is to provide information on the quality of water in the local catchment; provide information on the advisory service the ASSAP will provide to farmers in the catchment and to discuss potential mitigation measures aimed at preventing nutrient and sediment loss to waters.

Manager of the ASSAP programme, Noel Meehan said: “It is in all our interests to work together to improve Ireland's overall water quality and the wellbeing of society. It will also help to strengthen farming by underpinning the future development of sustainable Irish agriculture.”

The Agricultural Sustainability Support and Advisory Programme (ASSAP) are being delivered by 20 advisors in Teagasc and 9 advisors based in the Co-ops. Initially the focus is on 190 priority areas throughout Ireland. The programme is a collaborative one with funding and support received from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government and Dairy Sustainability Ireland.

To see upcoming meetings visit https://www.teagasc.ie/news--events/national-events/

Meetings for farmers and communities are taking place in catchments in counties Waterford, Tipperary, Cavan, Mayo and Galway this week. More are planned and will follow in other locations.

For more information on ASSAP see https://www.teagasc.ie/environment/water-quality/farming-for-water-quality-assap/