Denis Naughten (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Independent)
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433. To ask the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the steps he is taking to implement the recommendations by the Joint Committee on the Environment report on Shannon Flooding published in 2012; if he will outline the detail of the responses to date to the committee; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1596/14]

Jimmy Deenihan (Kerry North-West Limerick, Fine Gael)
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The recommendations in the Report cover a number of areas within the responsibility of my Department:

- Waterways Ireland, the North South Implementation body with responsibility for the Shannon Navigation; and

- the National Parks and Wildlife Service, which has general responsibility for the implementation of National and EU law under the Wildlife Acts and the Birds and Habitats Directives for the protection of habitats and species.

As the Deputy will be aware, the Office of Public Works (OPW) is the lead agency for the coordination and implementation of Government policy in relation to the management of flood risk in Ireland. It has the lead role in developing policy on national flood risk management and has the lead role in co-ordinating the actions and activities of Government Departments, the local authorities and other key stakeholders in this area.

I understand that a Catchment Flood Risk Assessment and Management Study on the River Shannon (Shannon CFRAMS) is currently being carried out on behalf of the OPW. This study, commissioned in 2011, is due for completion in December 2016 with the publication of Flood Risk Management Plans (FRMP). The results of the study are awaited. In the meantime, the Department's National Parks and Wildlife Service and Waterways Ireland fully support the work of the Office of Public Works as the lead state agency in the management of flood risk on the River Shannon.