Mairéad Farrell (Galway West, Sinn Fein)
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463. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if it is the long-term policy of his Department to reclassify further water bodies within Lough Corrib SAC as heavily modified water bodies (HMWBs) under the EU Water Framework Directive in a deliberate manner to undermine the integrity of the SAC for the commercial development of the lake and its tributaries; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35544/25]

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 status’ or better and to protect water from any further deterioration.

In some instances, water bodies have been physically modified in the past to serve a beneficial specified use to society. In the process of modifying a water body, the natural flow, form or function (hydromorphology) have been altered to the extent that it has impacted the natural aquatic ecology of the water body. In such cases, the water bodies may be designated as Heavily Modified Water Bodies (HMWBs), as provided for under Article 4(3) of the Water Framework Directive (WFD - 2000/60/EC).

Action 3.10 of the Water Action Plan 2024 explicitly states:

“The Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage will undertake a short public consultation before deciding whether to designate or de-designate water bodies as HMWBs. There were 466 water bodies, which the EPA has found to meet the criteria for designation. The Minister will take into account the recommendations of the EPA and the key concerns raised in the submissions to the consultation process.”

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.

Be assured that it is not the intention of my Department, in any way, to undermine the integrity of the Lough Corrib Special Area of Conservation. The designation of water bodies as HMWBs will, however, provide certainty regarding the environmental objectives under the Water Framework Directive to be applied to those water bodies for management and regulatory purposes.

It is important to note that this is an iterative process; HMWB designation is revisited in each river basin management planning cycle (every 6 years) taking into account new information, changed circumstances and the technical feasibility for restoring to natural conditions. Where these factors are favourable, HMWBs have the potential to be de-designated in future planning cycles.