Ó An Roinn Tithíochta, Rialtais Áitúil agus Oidhreachta
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Today, the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Darragh O’Brien TD, and the Minister of State with responsibility for Heritage and Electoral Reform, Malcolm Noonan TD, held a meeting with members of An Fóram Uisce (The Water Forum) to mark the opening of the public consultation on the draft River Basin Management Plan for Ireland 2022-2027. The public consultation begins on Tuesday 28 September 2021 and ends on Thursday 31 March 2022 at 5pm.
This vital plan will set out the environmental objectives that must be achieved to put in place the measures that will protect and restore our rivers, lakes, estuaries and coastal waters by the end of 2027, together with actions to ensure those objectives are achieved. Under the Water Framework Directive (WFD), Ireland is required to produce a River Basin Management Plan every six years to protect and improve water quality.
The Plan sets out over one hundred proposed measures, including:
1. Significant and sustained investment in waste water infrastructure, with Irish Water expected to invest approximately €1.022 billion in 83 wastewater treatment plants and 10 collection networks over the period 2020-2024
2. Irish Water’s Enhanced Ambition Programme funded by the European Union’s Recovery and Resilience Facility: this aims to deliver 10 waste water treatment plant projects whose discharges have been identified as being significant pressures on receiving water bodies and early-stage studies for a further 20 waste water treatment plant projects will be completed to expedite their subsequent delivery by Irish Water.
3. Measures to address agricultural impacts on water quality including proposals for a stronger and more effective Nitrates Action Programme including tighter controls on nitrogen inputs, the establishment of a chemical fertiliser register and improved enforcement and compliance of Nitrates Regulations;
4. A new comprehensive control regime for the protection of waters during development and during works near or in our rivers;
5. A new river restoration programme to restore free-flows and mitigate the negative impact of past construction in or near water bodies;
6. A new approach to drinking water source protection.
The latest EPA data shows that 53% of surface waters (rivers, lakes, estuarine waters) are in ‘good’ or ‘high’ ecological status. Forty-seven per cent are in ‘unsatisfactory’ ecological status. Ninety-two per cent of groundwater bodies are in good chemical and quantitative status. EPA assessment of biological river water quality in 2019 and 2020 indicates some recovery in water quality, with more rivers showing improvements (345) than declines (230).
Provisional data indicates that the Priority Areas for Action (a key element of the 2018-2021 River Basin Management Plan) are helping to improve water quality. Twenty-one per cent of rivers in Priority Areas for Action (those identified for targeted measures) have seen improved water quality. Thirteen per cent of rivers outside of these areas saw improvement. This indicates that targeted measures are helping to improve water quality. Nevertheless, a large number of river waterbodies are still declining.
The plan will also see an increase in the number of Areas for Action with 527 areas proposed for focused attention in the third cycle, up from 190 in the second-cycle.
Water quality analysis indicates that agriculture, hydromorphology (physical changes to habitat conditions and water flows), forestry and urban waste water are the main pressures on water quality.
Commenting on the opening of the consultation Minister O’Brien said:
“Ireland has made substantial progress in how we manage our water services and how we work together to protect and improve water quality. However, water quality is still in decline. People, nature, and our economy all rely on healthy and well protected water catchments. Working together, through a new and strengthened River Basin Management Plan, will put us on course to achieve our environmental objectives and deliver the clean waters that are vital for protecting public health, supporting economic growth and preserving our environment.”
Minister of State Noonan said:
“The River Basin Management Plan process is founded on stakeholder participation and involvement – Minister O’Brien and I are particularly keen to see an inclusive process where all voices and ideas are heard. Key to this will be engaging with stakeholders and with communities at a national and local level.
I would encourage everyone to participate and to express your views as these will help inform and improve the plans and programmes and wider policy developments that impact our waters.”
Copies of the consultation document and supporting materials are available for download at the link below. The final date for responses in respect of this consultation is Thursday, 31 March 2022.
ENDS