Ireland River Basin Management Plan 2018 – 2021.

This publication contains the full text of the Ireland River Basin Management Plan for the period from 2018 – 2021.
This text states that good water quality is vital to the well-being of national society, economy and environment. Perhaps most obviously, rivers and lakes are the sources of national drinking water. In addition, they are not only essential parts of natural environment but also a treasured national asset that communities and tourists want to enjoy. By protecting Irish water quality, we will also help to protect public health. By improving its aquatic environment, we will help to sustain jobs in water-intensive sectors, such as agri-food and tourism, sectors that collectively sustain over 400,000 jobs. By preserving these waters, the natural heritage for future generations shall be protected as well. This Plan has placed a major emphasis on establishing the right governance and delivery structures for an effective catchment-based approach, among several financial issues. Clear priorities are set out in the Plan, which will ensure that all stakeholders are working together with a strong focus on delivering positive outcomes. The following evidence-based priorities have been adopted for this river basin planning cycle: Ensure full compliance with relevant EU legislation; Prevent deterioration; Meet the objectives for designated protected areas; Protect high-status waters; Implement targeted actions and pilot schemes in focused sub-catchments. Also an Agricultural Sustainability Support and Advisory Programme will be established. Main topics covered in this Plan are as follows: State responses to improve water management; Pressures on water bodies and water quality; Physical condition of surface waters; Value of water bodies.
The River Basin Management Plan outlines the new approach that Ireland will take to protect our waters over the period to 2021. It builds on lessons learned from the first planning cycle in a number of areas: stronger and more effective delivery structures have been put in place to build the foundations and momentum for long-term improvements to water quality; a new governance structure, which brings the policy, technical and implementation actors together with public and representative organizations. This will ensure the effective and coordinated delivery of measures. The newly-established Local Authority Waters and Communities Office will help people to get involved in improving water quality at a local level. An Fóram Uisce, also newly established, is a forum for stakeholders, community groups and sectoral representatives. It will analyse and raise awareness of water issues. An enhanced evidence base has been developed to guide national policies and the targeting of local measures. Technical assessments of 4,829 water bodies have been carried out, examining their status (quality) and whether they are ‘at risk’ of not meeting status objectives in the future. Using this information, the Plan sets out national policies and regional prioritized measures. Among the main actions that will be taken through the Plan are: improved waste water treatment: €1.7 billion in investment by Irish Water in over 250 waste water treatment projects between 2017 and 2021. This will help improve water quality and prevent deterioration of quality in targeted water bodies, including ‘protected areas’; conservation and leakage reduction: Irish Water will implement important measures to make water use more sustainable and efficient, reducing leakage in our water network from 45% of all water produced down to 37% by 2021, based on 2017 figures; scientific assessments of water bodies and implementation of local measures by 43 new, specialist, local authority investigative assessment personnel: they will carry out scientific assessments of water bodies and lead on local implementation measures; a new collaborative Sustainability and Advisory Support Programme: this partnership between the State and the dairy industry, consisting of 30 Sustainability Advisers, will promote best farming practice in 190 areas chosen for action, for up to 5,000 farmers; Dairy Sustainability Initiative to help improve water quality: 18,000 dairy farmers to receive advice on sustainable farming practices in the 190 areas for action; development of water and planning guidance for local authorities: this will help local authorities to consider the risks to water quality during planning and development decision-making; extension of the Domestic Waste Water Treatment Systems grant scheme: the scheme will assist with the costs of septic tank remediation in High Status water areas; a Blue Dot Catchments Programme: the new programme will create a network of excellent river and lake areas. Agencies will work together to protect or restore excellent water quality in these water bodies; a new Community Water Development Fund: this will enable and support community water initiatives.