Minister Browne Announces €700,000 Funding for Restoration of Lady’s Island Lake

Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, James Browne TD, has announced a €700,000 funding package to support Wexford County Council’s efforts to restore the ecological health of Lady’s Island Lake. The funding announced this morning will aid the council’s coordination of a collaborative response to address the water quality and ecological issues facing the lake. Minister Browne, alongside Minister for Nature, Heritage and Biodiversity, Christopher O’Sullivan TD, met with officials from Wexford County Council, LAWPRO (Local Authority Waters Programme), NPWS (National Parks and Wildlife Service), Teagasc and representatives from Farming for Water EIP and the Agricultural Sustainability Support and Advisory Programme (ASSAP). These groups are working together to tackle the factors contributing to the lake’s deterioration, including excess nutrients from agriculture, wastewater treatment plants and urban sewage systems. The €700,000 in funding will primarily be used to develop a Water Quality Management Plan for Lady’s Island. This will include a coordinated approach to reducing nutrient pollution and implementing necessary actions to restore the lake’s ecology. Close collaboration between government departments, state bodies and local farmers will be crucial to the success of the project with support from initiatives such as the Nitrates Action Plan and the Water Action Plan. Minister Browne commented, “This funding will resource Wexford County Council to coordinate the response from all relevant stakeholders. I am confident that by working together with the tools and resources available through various government plans we can make significant improvements at Lady’s Island.” Minister O’Sullivan added, “The progress made since the establishment of the oversight group in July is encouraging. The collective efforts of all involved agencies and the local community are vital in implementing the right measures in the right places, ensuring a holistic approach to restoring the lake’s ecology.” Lady’s Island Lake has been selected as a Priority Area for Action under the Water Action Plan due to its significant water quality challenges, including harmful algal blooms caused by nutrient pollution mainly from agricultural runoff. The €700,000 funding is a key part of ongoing efforts to improve the water quality, ecology and biodiversity of the area.