Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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Question 233: To ask the Minister for Finance the damage which was done to the spawning beds on the River Boyne as a result of the Boyne drainage scheme; the steps taken by his Department to address the damage done to spawning beds in the period 1986 to date in 2009; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1852/09]

Martin Mansergh (Tipperary South, Fianna Fail)
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The carrying out of the Boyne Arterial Drainage Scheme in the 1970s / 80s resulted in damage to some fish spawning beds in the catchment. Following the completion of the scheme, the Office of Public Works sought and received the assistance of the Central Fisheries Board to identify and subsequently address this problem.

A fishery rehabilitation programme was designed by the CFB, in conjunction with the then Department of the Marine, to provide additional spawning beds throughout the catchment. As a result of the implementation of this programme, it was estimated that there a 20% increase in spawning bed areas post-drainage, compared to the pre-drainage position.

Moreover, fishery survey work showed that the removal as part of the drainage scheme of a large number of stone weirs and the silt accumulated by these structures over hundreds of years led to the restoration of the natural morphology of a long channel reach from Trim to Navan. This resulted in an estimated increase of circa 30,000 salmon smolts, per annum, following the completion of this aspect of the drainage programme.

In recent years, the OPW have worked closely with Regional and Central Fisheries Board personnel to adapt drainage maintenance programmes in order to minimise the impacts of such programmes on fish stocks. This initiative has been broadened since 2008 to generate enhancement plans for all drained river corridors within the remit of OPW, with the aim of ensuring compliance with the requirements of the Water Framework Directive.