Fair and equitable compensation must be paid to farmers where water abstraction takes place on farmland and results in land sterilisation, crop loss and disturbance, according to the IFA.
The call comes as the Government proposes to overhaul the legislation in this area, under pressure from the European Commission over the absence of controls on water abstractions.
The new laws will place limits on the amounts of water that can be taken rivers, lakes and groundwater sources without registration with the authorities.
However, in a submission to the Oireachtas Committee scrutinising the proposed laws, the IFA said an amendment is needed to better reflect the rights of farmers and makes provision for an equitable package of measures, including compensation where losses arise due to a water abstraction.
Bill to allow 100 times more water to be abstracted without licence in ROI than in NI
A bill currently going through the Oireachtas could allow 100 times more water to be abstracted without a licence in the Republic of Ireland compared to the North, a pre-legislative report has warned.
The Water Environment (Abstractions) Bill applies to those abstracting ground or surface water for domestic, agricultural and industrial use.
The bill sets thresholds for registration and licensing significantly higher than comparable jurisdictions such as Northern Ireland and Scotland, despite claims the bill would ‘mirror’ them.
It has been drafted as a result of a European Commission infringement action against Ireland for its failure to comply with the Water Framework Directive in putting in place a system for prior authorisation for abstracting water.
15 December 2020
Just over half of Irish surface waters are in a satisfactory condition and trends are going “in the wrong direction”, according to a new report.
The Environmental Protection Agency published their Water Quality Indicators Report 2019 today, and found that nitrate concentrations are now increasing in nearly half of river and groundwater sites.
These concentrations are highest in the south and south east of the country, where its main source is agriculture.
Excess nutrients like phosphorus and nitrogen, which are primarily coming from agriculture and waste water, are the “main threat” to water quality, according to the agency.
“Elevated nutrient concentrations are contributing to pollution in our freshwaters and estuaries and causing difficulties with drinking water standards in some areas.