Launch of Public Consultation on Significant Water Management Issues for the fourth cycle Water Action Plan 2028 - 2033
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The Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage has commenced a six month public consultation in relation to the Significant Water Management Issues (SWMI) that will help shape the development of Ireland’s next River Basin Management Plan, the Water Action Plan 2028 – 2033.
As part of the development of their River Basin Management Plan each EU Member State is required to publish and make available for comments an interim overview of the significant water management issues identified in their river basins. The objective of the SWMI process is to identify the challenges and pressures on our water environment, and along with the public responses gathered as part of the consultation phase, will provide a framework for policy issues that will shape the development of Ireland’s next Water Action Plan.
Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, James Browne TD commented:
“I welcome the launch of this public consultation which will help identify the issues that we will seek to address in the Water Action Plan 2028 - 2033. The development and delivery of the next Water Action shows our commitment to achieving our Programme for Government and EU Water Framework Directive objectives. Significant progress is being in improving our water quality and water infrastructure, and this Government will continue to deliver the necessary funding, projects and initiatives that is required to improve our water environment.”
Minister for State for Nature, Heritage and Biodiversity, Christopher O’Sullivan TD added:
“The launch of this public consultation is an important step in ensuring that our next Water Action Plan is based on evidence, insights and experience from the people who know our lakes, rivers, estuaries and coasts the best. I look forward to hearing the public’s views on what our priorities should be in the years ahead. My goal is to use this consultation to deliver integrated policy objectives that restore nature, address climate change and improve water quality.”
The aim of the consultation is to seek the views of the public on the significant issues identified, suggest additional actions that might be taken to address issues and to identify any additional issues that may need to be addressed. A SWMI consultation document has been developed to accompany the public consultation, which sets out an overview and some of the suggested issues that will need to be addressed in our next Water Action Plan.
The responses received from the public consultation will be incorporated into the draft Water Action Plan 2028 – 2033, which will itself be subject of a public consultation in December 2026. More information on the Significant Water Management Issues public consultation and how to make a submission is available at www.gov.ie/housing
The closing date for the consultation is 5.00pm on Friday 19 June 2026.
Notes
The EU Water Framework Directive (WFD) establishes a framework for the protection of all waters, including rivers, lakes, estuaries, coastal waters and groundwater, and their dependent wildlife/habitats under one piece of environmental legislation. The WFD aims to achieve these goals by means of successive river basin management plans, which set out programmes of environmental measures to stabilise and improve water quality within defined catchments.
On 05 September 2024, Ireland published its third cycle River Basin Management Plan, the Water Action Plan 2024 www.gov.ie/RBMP. The Water Action Plan sets out targeted measures in its Programme of Measures for all water bodies, with the objective of either protecting water bodies at good or high status or restoring water bodies to at least good status.
Key measures under the Water Action Plan 2024 are:
Agricultural:
- Actions contributing to a stronger Nitrates Action Programme which will retain and strengthen the existing controls and implement tighter controls on Nitrogen and Phosphorous from agriculture.
- Farming for Water EIP the objective of which is to focus on reducing losses of phosphorus, nitrogen, sediment and, where relevant, pesticides to water from agricultural lands by promoting the adoption of innovative best practice in nutrient management, the application of Nature based Natural Water Retention Measures (NWRM) and other suitable measures.
Urban Waste Water and Urban Run Off:
- Continued investment in waste water infrastructure with Uisce Éireann investing over €2.3bn in standalone projects at 108 waste water treatment plants, 77 collection networks and 92 related national programmes by 2024.
- The roll out of Nature-based Solutions in urban environments
Hydromorphology:
- The establishment of a national Hydromorphology Programme and Expert Group to support its development and implementation to mitigate the negative impact of physical barriers in or near waterbodies.
ENDS