Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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The competent Authority for the EU Water Framework (WFD) is the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (DHLGH). In addition, water quality status, within the terms of the Directive, is assigned via the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) has no direct function in the assignment of water quality status.

The status of fish stock is one of a number of indices used in combination by the EPA to determine water quality. In that context, and to support collaborative national efforts in implementing the WFD, IFI carries out surveys of fish populations, with funding support from DHLGH as the competent authority. IFI reports the results of surveys to EPA to contribute to overall assessments of water quality by EPA. IFI have advised that they are committed to continued support for the EPA and DHLGH in this regard.

On the general matter of water quality, I wish to advise the Deputy that while the percentage of groundwater bodies and coastal water bodies in satisfactory quality is well above the European average, our rivers, lakes and estuaries are not doing as well. Fifty per cent of rivers, 69 per cent of lakes and 36 per cent of estuaries are in satisfactory ecological health. Furthermore, while there have been some improvements, these are being cancelled out by declines during 2016-2021. Significant agricultural pressures include runoff of nutrients and sediment from agricultural lands and farmyards, and the contamination of surface waters with pesticides. Nutrients and other substances discharged from waste water treatment plants can lead to organic and nutrient enrichment with consequent impacts on dissolved oxygen levels and biological communities Further Details are available from the EPA website: www.epa.ie