Neasa Hourigan (Dublin Central, Green Party)
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271. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if he will report on the actions being taken to clean up and improve the quality of the water in the Tolka river; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44646/21]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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Primary responsibility for the monitoring, management, protection and improvement of water quality is assigned to local authorities under the Local Government (Water Pollution) Acts and related legislation. The Environmental Protection Agency, through its Office of Environmental Enforcement, exercises general supervision in relation to the performance of these functions by local authorities.

In terms of overall national policy, the River Basin Management Plan 2018 - 2021 outlines what Ireland is doing to protect and improve our waters. This is supported, amongst other measures, by a new local authority shared service known as the Local Authority Waters Programme (LAWPRO); by Irish Water’s Strategic Funding Plan 2019-2024; and by new capital investment for rural water services.

My Department is currently preparing the third River Basin Management Plan for Ireland, to cover the period 2022 – 2027. A key commitment in the new Programme for Government, the publication of a new strengthened River Basin Management Plan in 2022 will help deliver a robust and effective policy regarding water services and water quality, along with advancing Ireland’s commitment to the implementation of the Water Framework Directive.

Building on the work of the second-cycle, this plan will again describe the main pressures and activities affecting water status. The plan will also set out the environmental objectives to be achieved up to 2027 and identify the measures needed to achieve these objectives, including those highlighted by the Environmental Protection Agency. The Draft Plan will include a number of proposed Areas for Action, including the Tolka in the Fingal County Council area and the Lower Tolka in the Dublin City Council area. These proposed areas were selected through a collaborative workshop process at each Regional Operational Committee, the membership of which includes key stakeholders such as local authorities, the Environmental Protection Agency and Inland Fisheries Ireland.

The draft plan is due to be published shortly for a 6 month public consultation, and the Deputy may wish to engage in this consultation process.