Dr. Eimear Cotter:

We have built up a lot of expertise in this area in the EPA in recent years, understanding how physical changes to our waters such as draining, dredging, channelisation and physical barriers such as weirs, change the shape and flow of a river or water body, which impacts on the water quality. That is the second most significant pressure on our water quality impacting 450 water bodies. It is an area in which our understanding and science are evolving quite quickly. The draft river basin management plan was published two years ago and we are waiting for the final plan to be published. The draft plan has a significant focus in terms of tackling this pressure and putting in place appropriate measures----