Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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637. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the number of submissions received in relation to the river basin management plan; if a submission was received from an organisation (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4394/18]

Eoghan Murphy (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael)
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Three processes of public consultation have been held in relation to the second-cycle River Basin Management Plan. These processes are an important part of the river basin management planning process, highlighting matters of public concern and shaping the policies and measures formulated by my Department and related public bodies.

A public consultation on Significant Water Management Issues (SWMI) took place from June 2015 to December 2015. A total of 46 responses to the SWMI consultation were received, and the key issues raised were included in the draft Plan, published in February 2017.

Following publication of the draft Plan, my Department invited comments and submissions over a six month period to August 2017.  938 submissions were received in response.

The Local Authorities Water and Communities Office (LAWCO) was responsible for consulting on the draft RBMP with respect to local and regional issues and held community-level consultation over the same period. This process received 956 submissions.

A submission was received under the Department's draft River Basin Management Plan consultation which sets out the position of the group referred to.

My Department is currently considering all of the submissions received in the context of preparing the final River Basin Management Plan.