Erin McGreehan (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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496. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government whether the Department has plans to classify additional rivers, lakes, and estuaries as 'Heavily Modified Water Bodies' (HMWBs); and if so, the measures that will be taken to restore and support their natural features, habitats, fish, and wildlife.; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31850/25]

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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The Water Action Plan 2024 published by my Department sets out a roadmap to restore Ireland’s water bodies to ‘Good Ecological Status’ or better and to protect water from any further deterioration. This plan fulfils a legal obligation under the EU Water Framework Directive.

In some instances, water bodies have been physically modified in the past to serve a beneficial specified use to society. Examples include drinking water abstraction, a hydroelectric scheme, a flood protection scheme and a drainage scheme aimed at improving agricultural production. In such cases, the natural flow, form or function (hydromorphology) of the water body have been altered to the extent that it has impacted its natural aquatic ecology.

For such bodies the legal obligation to restore such bodies to “good status” is wholly impractical - the societal costs would far outweigh the benefits. It is for this reason that the Water Framework Directive provides that water bodies may be designated as Heavily Modified Water Bodies (HMWBs). The environmental objective for HMWBs takes into account the modifications necessary to provide the societal benefit of their specified use. This facilitates a further assessment of each water body so that it can achieve the best environmental outcome possible. This is known as Good Ecological Potential and is used as an alternative to Good Ecological Status.

It should be noted that the environmental objective for HMWBs is not a lower standard. It is a more accurate target, accounting for the modifications necessary to provide the societal benefit of their specified use, e.g. provision of drinking water or prevention of flooding. The purpose of designating water bodies as HMWBs is to provide certainty regarding the environmental objectives under the Water Framework Directive to be applied to those water bodies for management and regulatory purposes.

As a result of a robust scientific assessment undertaken in 2022 a list of 466 water bodies has been proposed by the Environmental Protection Agency for designation as HMWBs. My Department has accepted this assessment and has canvassed the views of interested parties. A large number of submission have been received and are now being considered. A final decision on designation will follow this consideration.

Upon designation as a HMWB, the objective of Good Ecological Potential will need to be defined for each individual water body. This will be carried out by the Environmental Protection Agency after the designations are complete.