The Environment Protection Agency (EPA) has confirmed that more initial Good Agricultural Practice for Protections of Waters Regulations (GAP) inspections are earmarked for farms in Co. Cork next year, than any other part of the country.
GAP inspections are currently planned for 587 farms in Co. Cork next year – this compares to 453 farms that are scheduled to have GAP inspections in 2024.
In 2023 there were a total of 356 “initial GAP inspections” on Co. Cork farms according to the EPA.
GAP regulations dictate a number of key measures that farmers must adhere to including on slurry storage and management, soiled water storage and management, chemical fertiliser controls and also crude protein in concentrated feeds.
According to the EPA data for 2022 and 2023 shows that non-compliances with the GAP regulations are being detected on more than 30% of farms inspected.
The agency has now published an update on the “allocation of farm inspection numbers to each local authority for 2024 and 2025” based on risk assessment and impacts on water quality.
The document highlights that there are 1,370 “waterbodies at risk” where agriculture has been “identified as significant pressure”.
The vast majority of these waterways are located in Co. Cork, with 182 but Tipperary has also been identified as an area “identified as significant pressure” with 129 waterbodies at risk.
Farms
According to the EPA a total of 4,545 planned GAP inspections are scheduled to be conducted on farms throughout the country in 2025.
Although the majority of these are planned for Co. Cork, there are also a significant number of inspections scheduled for Tipperary – 350 – and farms in Meath will also see 318 planned GAP inspections.
But farms in south Dublin will see the least number of planned GAP inspections compared to any other part of the country – with just 40 scheduled for 2025, the EPA has outlined.