John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)

The transposition of the water framework directive in 2003 saw the establishment of eight river basin districts on the island of Ireland, including the Shannon international river basin district. The regulations transposing the directive provided, for the first time, a basis for the management of water on a catchment basis.

Implementation of the directive is being brought forward through river basin district projects led by co-ordinating local authorities. A river basin district project office, funded by my Department, was established in each of seven districts to co-ordinate the making of river basin management plans with the aim of protecting and improving the water environment within the catchment.

These plans are currently being finalised and, following adoption by the relevant local authorities, will be published in the coming months. The task of preparing river basin management plans for the purpose of the water framework directive has brought a new level of co-operation between the various existing public authorities involved in water management. Preparation of my Department's water services investment programme for 2010 to 2012 has been informed by the environmental objectives established as part of the river basin planning process.

The river basin management plans will be co-ordinated with other relevant plans including flood risk management plans to be prepared by the OPW as part of the implementation of the floods directive. The Shannon flood risk assessment and management study will be commissioned by the OPW this year to identify the level of flood risk throughout the catchment and to produce a prioritised plan of measures to address the risks. A national advisory committee was established in 2009 to co-ordinate work on the finalisation of plans and with a view to overseeing their subsequent implementation. The committee is considering options for the optimum structures necessary to ensure that the plans are implemented effectively.

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