Ireland’s agricultural greenhouse gas emissions,¹“Ireland’s Provisional Greenhouse Gas Emissions 1990-2023,” Irish Environmental Protection Agency, July 2024. Archived July 9, 2024. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog. 
air pollution²“Ireland’s Air Pollutant Emissions 1990-2023,”Irish Environmental Protection Agency, May 2023. Archived October 1, 2023. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog. and water pollution³“Water quality monitoring report on nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations in Irish waters 2022,” Irish Environmental Protection Agency, 2023. Archived January 17, 2024. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog. have increased significantly since 2010, according to the EPA, Ireland’s Environmental Protection Agency.

Agriculture was responsible for 38 percent of Ireland’s total national emissions in 2023,⁴“Ireland’s National Inventory Report 2024,” Environmental Protection Agency, May 2024. Archived April 19, 2024. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog. primarily due to methane from cattle burps and animal manure, as well as nitrous oxide from spreading fertiliser and nitrogen excretion (via manure) by farm animals.

In 2022 there were 1.51 million dairy cows in Ireland, an increase of 50 percent since 2010.⁵“AAA06 – Farm Animals in December,” Irish Central Statistics Office, 2024. Archived July 16, 2024. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/SuZ1q According to 2024 data from the EPA, agricultural methane emissions in Ireland reached their highest ever level in 2022.⁶“Provisional Greenhouse Gas Emissions 1990-2022. July 2023,” Irish Environmental Protection Agency, July 2023. Archived January 18, 2024. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/iev0N 

In addition to chemical fertiliser, farmers also routinely spread diluted manure and urine from animals housed over the winter – known as slurry – on fields, adding to the nutrient load that causes climate, water and air pollution. More than 40 million tonnes of slurry are stored and spread in Ireland every year.⁷“Safe Handling of Slurry,” Health and Safety Authority, 2021. Archived February 25, 2021. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/wip/iT1Qd

Nitrogen inputs to agriculture – from chemical fertiliser, slurry and manure spreading, and legume plants such as clovers that “fix” nitrogen from the atmosphere – can help boost farm animal and crop output, but also result in a “nitrogen cascade” of climate and environmental impacts. Spreading fertiliser, as well as animal urine and manure, results in nitrogen losses and contributes to global warming due to nitrous oxide, ammonia air pollution and surplus nitrate and phosphate losses that pollute water bodies. Nitrous oxide (N₂O) is a potent greenhouse gas that has 265 times the global warming impact of carbon dioxide.⁸Mark Sutton and Hans van Grinsven. “The European Nitrogen Assessment: Summary for policy makers (ENA)” in: Sutton, M.A., Howard, C.M., Erisman, J.W., Billen, G., Bleeker, A., Grennfelt, P., Grinsven, H. van, Grizzetti, B. (Eds.), European Nitrogen Assessment (ENA). 2011. Archived April 12, 2024. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/wip/YMnU6 

As identified by the EPA, the “main threat” to Ireland’s water quality is posed by the high nutrient levels of nitrates and phosphates from human activities including agriculture, which can damage ecosystems, cause algal blooms in estuaries and lakes and potentially pose a risk to human health.⁹“Urgent action needed to curb nitrogen pollution in Ireland’s waters, says EPA,” Environmental Protection Agency, July 12, 2021. Archived July 30, 2021. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/wip/eT07x

The EPA’s 2024 report found that over recent years there has been “no significant change in the nutrient concentrations or in the biological quality” of Ireland’s water bodies and continued to identify agriculture as the main source of nitrogen in water.¹⁰“Water Quality in 2023,” EPA, 2024. Archived June 12, 2024. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog. 

According to the Global Carbon Project’s second global “nitrogen budget”, nitrous oxide emissions from human activities – including growing demand around the world for meat and dairy products – rose by 40 percent in the last four decades.¹¹Orla Dwyer, “Agriculture ‘major driver’ of rise in nitrous oxide emissions over past 40 years,” Carbon Brief, June 11, 2024. Archived June 14, 2024. Archive URL: https://archive.is/EwUA5 

Under the EU’s 2008 Water Framework Directive, Ireland has committed to improve water quality by 2027. However, following the dairy sector expansion targeting the end of the EU milk quota,¹²“Milk Quotas Pre-2015,” Irish Legal Blog. Archived August 22, 2024. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/k29Gx EPA water quality reports from 2015 onwards show that nitrate levels have worsened substantially,¹³“Water Quality in 2023,” EPA, 2024. Archived June 12, 2024. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog. particularly in the south and east where most dairy farming is located on free draining soils.

Responding to the lack of improvement in water quality, the European Commission intervened in September 2023 to reduce the amount of “organic nitrogen” (from manure and urine) Irish farmers are allowed per hectare. By limiting fertiliser use and resultant nutrient losses to water, the mandate is expected to result in a reduction in the intensity of dairy farming.¹⁴“Commission rules out re-visiting Ireland’s Nitrates Derogation decision,” Teagasc, 2023. Archived October 1, 2023. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/wip/ewlyE

Resources

• 1
  “Ireland’s Provisional Greenhouse Gas Emissions 1990-2023,” Irish Environmental Protection Agency, July 2024. Archived July 9, 2024. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog. 
  
• 2
  “Ireland’s Air Pollutant Emissions 1990-2023,”Irish Environmental Protection Agency, May 2023. Archived October 1, 2023. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.
• 3
  “Water quality monitoring report on nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations in Irish waters 2022,” Irish Environmental Protection Agency, 2023. Archived January 17, 2024. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.
• 4
  “Ireland’s National Inventory Report 2024,” Environmental Protection Agency, May 2024. Archived April 19, 2024. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.
• 5
  “AAA06 – Farm Animals in December,” Irish Central Statistics Office, 2024. Archived July 16, 2024. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/SuZ1q
• 6
  “Provisional Greenhouse Gas Emissions 1990-2022. July 2023,” Irish Environmental Protection Agency, July 2023. Archived January 18, 2024. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/iev0N
• 7
  “Safe Handling of Slurry,” Health and Safety Authority, 2021. Archived February 25, 2021. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/wip/iT1Qd
• 8
  Mark Sutton and Hans van Grinsven. “The European Nitrogen Assessment: Summary for policy makers (ENA)” in: Sutton, M.A., Howard, C.M., Erisman, J.W., Billen, G., Bleeker, A., Grennfelt, P., Grinsven, H. van, Grizzetti, B. (Eds.), European Nitrogen Assessment (ENA). 2011. Archived April 12, 2024. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/wip/YMnU6
• 9
  “Urgent action needed to curb nitrogen pollution in Ireland’s waters, says EPA,” Environmental Protection Agency, July 12, 2021. Archived July 30, 2021. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/wip/eT07x
• 10
  “Water Quality in 2023,” EPA, 2024. Archived June 12, 2024. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.
• 11
  Orla Dwyer, “Agriculture ‘major driver’ of rise in nitrous oxide emissions over past 40 years,” Carbon Brief, June 11, 2024. Archived June 14, 2024. Archive URL: https://archive.is/EwUA5
• 12
  “Milk Quotas Pre-2015,” Irish Legal Blog. Archived August 22, 2024. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/k29Gx
• 13
  “Water Quality in 2023,” EPA, 2024. Archived June 12, 2024. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.
• 14
  “Commission rules out re-visiting Ireland’s Nitrates Derogation decision,” Teagasc, 2023. Archived October 1, 2023. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/wip/ewlyE