THE ENVIRONMENTAL WATCHDOG said there was a “welcome reduction” in nitrogen levels in rivers last year – although levels were still too high in the dairy farming heartland of the south-east.

The news  from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Early Insights Nitrogen Indicator for 2024 is already being greeted by politicians advocating for the farming sector as a sign that the industry was “on the right track” in response to environmental concerns.

Irish farming is facing changes to its derogation from EU nitrates limits – a significant political issue for recent governments.

Ireland is one of three EU countries with a derogation, which allows farmers to keep denser herds.

Denmark and Netherlands are the other two with the legal exceptions, but the Irish Farmers Journal reported this week that the former will not be renewing theirs.

Farmers have previously warned that they will struggle if the derogation is cut as planned.

Nitrates are commonly used in fertilisers and in excessive amounts can cause damage to Ireland’s rivers – something which the EPA has increasingly pointed to as a major factor in the quality of Ireland’s water.

In today’s report, the EPA said that it remains the case that “agriculture is the primary source of nitrogen in our waters”, and acknowledged that “significant” actions are underway by the sector to reduce this.

It said ongoing and sustained actions will be needed to reduce nutrient levels so that the ecological health of our waters can improve.

However, the EPA warned: “Despite the reduction, nitrogen remains too high in the southeastern half of the country and further reductions will be needed to bring them to satisfactory levels.”

EPA programme manager Jenny Deakin said that the changes were positive and needed to improve Ireland’s ecological system.

“It is very positive to see this improvement in nitrogen levels in 2024, following a period of little positive change in recent years.

However, nitrogen levels remain too high in the southeastern half of the country. Further actions will be necessary to reduce nitrogen and phosphorus losses to levels which will support good ecological health in our water bodies.

Deakin added: “The ecology will not improve until nutrient levels are reduced in the areas where they are elevated. The EPA will be reporting on the ecological health of our waters later in 2025.”

Fianna Fáil MEP Billy Kelleher welcomed the report, adding that the “demonisation of Ireland’s dairy farmers can now stop”.

He added that the industry has “done everything that has been asked of them in terms of mitigating the effects of dairy farming” on the Irish environment.

Eimear Cotter, Director of the EPA’s Office of Evidence and Assessment, said it was important that the sector “builds on this momentum and continues to implement actions” to reduce nutrient losses in a targeted way.

The Early Insights Nitrogen Indicator 2024 report is available here.