Olivia Mitchell (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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Question 8: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he has assessed the possibility of merging existing agencies or responsibilities of agencies into a single River Shannon organisation that would plan for environmental affairs along the River Shannon catchment area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9622/10]

John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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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.

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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The Minister and the members of the Joint Committee on the Environment, Heritage and Local Government are aware that too many agencies are involved in co-ordinating issues relating to flood defence and flooding matters. I refer specifically to the River Shannon. The Minister of State, Deputy Michael Finneran, will agree that it is difficult to get someone to take responsibility for co-ordinating the necessary measures to deal effectively with problems that have continued for a long time. Does the Minister accept there is a need, in the context of the recent floods in November 2009 and subsequent matters relating to weather, for a lead agency to co-ordinate in the most appropriate way to deal with matters relating to flooding in the River Shannon catchment area?

John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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This was the subject of discussion recently on "Primetime" and, as the Deputy observed, it was also raised at the Oireachtas committee. The Deputy is correct that there are several agencies with responsibility in this area, including the Office of Public Works, ESB, local authorities and the National Parks and Wildlife Service, which has a role in respect of special areas of conservation and special protection areas. However, primary responsibility is with the OPW. It would require a substantial legislative undertaking to create a new agency to take over the functions of all those agencies. What is undoubtedly required is greater co-ordination and greater clarity in terms of which agency is responsible for what. In the case of flood risk management and dredging, the appropriate authority is the OPW, which is doing a good job of devising initiatives to address the flood risk difficulties in the River Shannon area.

It is interesting to note previous legislative proposals on this matter in the House. As I understand it, and my colleagues in the Labour Party will correct me if it is not so, Deputy Penrose introduced a Private Members' Bill in 2000 proposing the establishment of a Shannon river authority. This followed a Shannon river council Bill in 1998 which was defeated on Fifth Stage on the grounds that the Government, while not opposed to the aims of the Bill, was of the view that its intent would be more effectively met either by initiatives already in place or those proposed by the European Union. The latter was a reference to the EU framework directive on water policy and that is where our focus must be. As I said, we are looking at the directive and plans have been put in place. The plans for the Shannon river basis district are vital to achieving our aims. I have said repeatedly that if we can get this issue right and ensure the river basin management plans are in place, particularly for the River Shannon, we will have dealt with many of the difficulties.

Joanna Tuffy (Dublin Mid West, Labour)
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It is difficult to get one's head around the concept of river basin management plans until we see something of what they entail. Everything about the system of water management seems complicated, with all these different agencies involved. As part of an evaluation some years ago of investment in water infrastructure under the national development plan, reference was made to the establishment of a water office. I share the Minister's concern about the establishment of another quango. Will he consider instead allocating that role to a section of his Department which would oversee issues to do with supply, demand, quality and so on?

Ciarán Lynch (Cork South Central, Labour)
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I agree entirely with the Minister that flood risk management is a key aspect of any river management system. At Tuesday's meeting of the Joint Committee on the Environment, Heritage and Local Government reference was made to what I would refer to as the management dispute that is ongoing between Cork City Council and the ESB in regard to the discharge of water near Cork on 19 November 2008. A conflict has arisen as to how information was communicated between those two agencies.

Séamus Kirk (Louth, Ceann Comhairle)
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The Deputy is reaching beyond the question.

Ciarán Lynch (Cork South Central, Labour)
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What further consideration will the Minister give to the issue of flood risk management on all rivers, including the Shannon, on which dams have been built?

John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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On Deputy Tuffy's question, as I said in my reply, my Department has funded project offices in each of the seven river basin districts, one of which will deal with the Shannon river basin district management plan. That will span the administrative boundaries of counties Limerick, Clare, north Tipperary, Offaly, Westmeath, Longford and Roscommon as well as significant portions of counties Kerry, Galway, Leitrim and Cavan. Other counties with smaller portions of the district include Sligo, south Tipperary, Mayo, Cork, Laois and Meath, while all of Limerick city is located within the district. We have allocated funding in excess of €8 million to support the development of the plan, which includes research, consultancy work and funding for the river basin district office to which I referred. This is where our focus ought to be.

Regarding Deputy Lynch's question on flood risk management, that is primarily a matter for my colleague, the Minister of State at the Department of Finance, Deputy Mansergh, who has responsibility for the OPW. I suggest that it would make sense for the Oireachtas Committee on the Environment, Heritage and Local Government to invite the Minister of State to a meeting so that these issues can be teased out in detail.