Ministers Browne and O’Sullivan announce package of €700,000 to coordinate response at Lady’s Island Lake
- Foilsithe:
- An t-eolas is déanaí: 21 Samhain 2025
Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage James Browne, TD and Minister for Nature, Heritage and Biodiversity Christopher O’Sullivan TD today visited Wexford's Lady's Island Lake and announced €700,000 in funding to Wexford County Council for their coordinating role in restoring the ecological condition of the lake.
Ministers Browne and O’Sullivan met with officials from Wexford County Council, LAWPRO, NPWS, 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.
The tranche of €700,000 in funding to Wexford County Council will support the development of a Water Quality Management Plan for Lady’s Island and help to project manage their continued coordination of the holistic approach required to improve Lady’s Island, with measures required to address excess nutrients from agriculture, domestic waste water treatment plants (septic tanks) and urban waste water treatment plant(s) entering the lake. This requires very close engagement between Wexford County Council, LAWPRO, the Agricultural Sustainability Support and Advisory (ASSAP), the Farming for Water EIP and Uisce Éireann.
This combined response will harness the combined strength and expertise of these organisations and their staff to put in place actions to improve the lake’s condition.
Minister James Browne TD said:
“The €700,000 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 underway 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, whom 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.”
Commenting on his visit to assess the site, Minister of State O’Sullivan TD said:
“I am delighted to see the progress 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.”
Lady’s Island was selected as a Priority Area for Action for restoration under the Water Action Plan as the lagoon is impacted by nutrient pollution predominantly coming from agriculture, which is leading to the presence of harmful algal blooms. The excess nutrients and algae impact on the ecology of the lagoon.
A significant reduction of nutrients entering the lagoon is required to improve the water quality and ecology in the area. All mechanisms for undertaking scientific and compliance investigations, delivery of advice and implementing regulatory and supplementary measures under the Water Action Plan, for all sectors, are being harnessed.
NOTES TO THE EDITOR
Lady’s Island Lake
- Lady’s Island Lake is a saline lagoon, located in South Wexford, which is protected under the EU’s Habitats Directive as a priority habitat. It is designated as a Special Area of Conservation (SAC) for lagoon and other habitats, and as a Special Protection Area (SPA) for a number of bird species, including four species of Terns that nest on islands in the lake.
- Lady’s Island Lake is currently at Poor Ecological Status (2016-2021), and Poor or Bad status has been reported by the EPA for Lady’s Island Lake since 2009 largely due to elevated levels of nutrients.
- The Coastal Lagoon: Ecology and Restoration (CLEAR) report was prepared by Brendan O’Connor, Geoff Oliver, Tony Cawley, Cilian Roden, Philip Perrin, Rutger de Witt, Kevin McCaffrey and Aisha O’Connor (lead organisation: AQUAFACT), identifying the serious water quality problems in Lady’s Island Lake. The National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) co-funded this report to better understand the extent to which Lady’s Island Lake has been polluted by nutrients and the impact of this on its ecology.
- Following the publication of the CLEAR report Minister of State Christopher O’Sullivan met with officials from the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (DHLGH) and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) along with Wexford County Council (WCC), National Parks and Wildlife (NPWS), Local Authority Waters Programme (LAWPRO), and Teagasc (Mainstream advisory & ASSAP) to establish an oversight group for Lady’s Island. This group, which is led and chaired by Wexford County Council, has met on multiple occasions since July to progress issues at Lady’s Island.
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