Waters of LIFE to Commence Intake for Year 2 of Pilot Agri-Environmental Programme

Waters of LIFE is commencing intake for Year 2 of its pilot agri-environmental programme.

263 farmers are already active across the project’s sub-catchments in Clare, Cork, Galway, Roscommon and Wicklow. That amounts to over 10,000 hectares of farmed area managed for water quality through the EU-funded initiative.

Eligible farmers who submitted an expression of interest (EOI) in the programme in 2025 will receive a formal contract offer in the coming weeks. Waters of LIFE will then host programme entry clinics in the local catchments for farmers to meet with catchment scientists and discuss their involvement.

Over 300 new expressions of interest were received on behalf of eligible farmers in 2025. The pilot agri-environmental programme has €9.5m allocated for implementation.

In addition to a contract offer, eligible farmers will also receive a farm plan prepared by Waters of LIFE. The farm plan is a map-based document unique to each farmer. It outlines the extent of the participant’s farm holding to be included in the pilot, the habitat scorecards that will apply, and the general actions available to the participant.

Farmers who enter the programme in 2026 will complete induction training in June before an approved agricultural advisor assesses their farm for nature quality (habitat) and runoff risk. In addition to receiving payments for habitats on their farm, participants can access funding for actions to protect and improve water quality. Farmers are also paid for active participation in Waters of LIFE training and knowledge exchange.

Current programme participants received their Year 1 Results Based Payments for nature quality in March. A high level summary of payments will be published once all transactions are confirmed as completed.

Deadline for receipt of contracts for entry into the programme in 2026 is Friday May 15^th, 2026.

Waters of LIFE openly invited expressions of interest in 2024 and 2025, supported by local media campaigns and a submission portal on the project website. There will be no further open windows for expressions of interest in the lifetime of the programme. Any further recruitment will be on an ad hoc basis, directly with the landowner where priority lands are identified.

Waters of LIFE is co-funded by the EU and led by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage. Project partners include Local Authority Waters Programme (LAWPRO), Teagasc, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Department of Agriculture Food and the Marine (DAFM), Coillte, Office of Public Works (OPW) and a number of local development companies.

Catchment, Contract and Clinic Details:

Avonmore Sub-Catchment (Wicklow):

Map: https://www.watersoflife.ie/avonmore

Contracts to be posted: From Wednesday April 1^st

Programme Entry Clinic: Tuesday 14th April, 5pm to 8pm

Annamoe Community Centre, Annamoe, Co. Wicklow, A98 EH04

Click here to view sample Avonmore contract

Awbeg (Kilbrin) Sub-Catchment (Cork):

Map: https://www.watersoflife.ie/awbeg

Contracts to be posted: From Wednesday April 1^st

Programme Entry Clinic: Wednesday 22nd April, 10am to 6pm

Kilbrin Sports & Social Club, Kilbrin, Co. Cork, P51 E8ND

Click here to view sample Awbeg contract

Graney Sub-Catchment (Co. Clare / Co. Galway):

Map: https://www.watersoflife.ie/graney

Contracts to be posted: From Wednesday April 1^st

Programme Entry Clinic: Wednesday 15th April , 3pm to 7:30pm

Lough Graney Community Centre, Flagmount, Co. Clare, V94 YW70

Click here to view sample Graney Contract

Islands Sub-Catchment (Co. Galway / Co. Roscommon):

Map: https://www.watersoflife.ie/islands

Contracts to be posted: From Wednesday April 22^nd

Programme Entry Clinic: Tuesday 28th April, 1:30pm to 7:30pm

Williamstown Parish Hall, Williamstown, Co. Galway, F45 W211

Click here to view sample Islands contract

Shournagh Sub-Catchment (Co. Cork):

Map: https://www.watersoflife.ie/shournagh

Contracts to be posted: From Wednesday April 15^th

Programme Entry Clinic: Thursday 23rd April 2026, 10am to 6pm

Donoughmore Community Centre, Stuake, Co. Cork, P32 FP49

Click here to view sample Shournagh contract

Please note postage dates are subject to change. If you are eligible for programme entry and have not received a contract offer before the date of your local programme entry clinic, please contact Waters of LIFE.

Completing Programme Entry:

Eligible farmers need to provide the following to complete programme entry:

Completed contract
Completed Agricultural Advisor Nomination Form
Completed Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) Form
Top of a printed Bank Statement to confirm your bank details

The contract and the forms for advisor nomination and EFT are included in the contract booklet issued to farmers. Farmers also need to provide a copy of the top of their bank statement. This can be scanned and emailed or a physical copy can be included with the required forms.

A stamped addressed envelope is issued to eligible farmers to ensure free postage.

Programme Information:

Eligible Farmers will receive the following documents along with their contract booklet and farm plan:

Further documentation is available at www.watersoflife.ie/resources