This presentation was given at the Catchment Management Network meeting on February 3rd 2017. The Catchment Management Network consists of the EPA, all of Ireland's Local Authorities, and other public bodies involved in looking after Ireland's catchments, sub-catchments and water bodies. For more information about this work see www.catchments.ie

1. 2nd Cycle Draft River Basin Management Plan
Colin Byrne
Senior Adviser
Catchment Management Network meeting
Athlone
24th February 2017

2. River basin planning cycles

3. Plan delivery
• Draft plan approved by the Minister
• Publication imminent
• Environmental Report and Natura
Impact Statement will accompany the
draft Plan
• 6 months public consultation process
• Final RBMP by December 2017
• Substantial amount of work remaining
to be done during 2017 to produce a
final plan

4. Background
• Recognised that improvements required on 1st cycle:
• Have now moved to a single river basin district
• EPA characterisation work improving the evidence base
• Have placed a major focus on getting the governance
and delivery structures right:
– Need these structures to continue the good progress on “basic measures”
and also drive delivery of supporting measures where required.
– Communication and public engagement also a major focus of this plan.

5. Water Quality Status
• 46 catchmentsconsisting of 583
sub-catchments& 4933 water
bodies
• 2013-15 status for monitored water
bodies shows 55% of rivers & 46%
of lakes achieving good or high
status
• Overall no improvements during
first cycle
• Some 900 water bodies showed
either “improvement or
disimprovement” over the first
cycle
• Continued loss of ‘high status’ sites
Summary of ecological status of water bodies
2013-15 (provisionalEPA information)

6. Significant Pressures
• Significant Pressures on “at risk” river and lake water bodies:
• 27% of ‘at risk’ waterbodies subject to a single pressure and
73% subject to more than one pressure
• High Status waterbodies under continued pressure – from 13%
of water bodies in 2007-09 to 10% in 2013-15.

7. Objectives & Priorities
• Environmental objectives are set out in the Directive
• Prioritisation is needed for 2nd cycle to achieve outcomes
• Identified priorities in the plan:
- Compliance with existing EU legislation (e.g. UWWTD)
- Prevent deterioration
- Meet water objectives for designated ‘protected areas’
- Protect high statuswaters
- Focus sub-catchmentsfor targeted actions and pilot
schemes.

8. Programme of Measures
• Agriculture
• Septic tanks
• Urban waste water
• Forestry
• Peat harvesting
• Invasive alien species
• Protected areas
• High status waters - “blue dot catchments programme”
• Hydromorphology
• Floods
• Land use planning and water

9. • Water abstraction pressures
– Legislative proposals to establish and maintain a register of water
abstractions greater than 25m3/day
– Public consultation on establishing a proportionate and risk-based
abstraction control regime required by the Water Framework Directive to
ensure continued sustainableuse of our water resources.

10. Implementation Strategy
• Implementation of basic
measures with supporting
measures targeted at priority
water bodies
• Measures informed by better
evidence base from
characterisation
• Regional structuresare critical to
marshalling and coordinating
resources across agencies and
other stakeholders

11. Proposed Implementation Structures
• WPAC high level policy direction
• NCMC Sub-committee to oversee programme delivery and implementation
• NTIG for technical implementation, characterisation, reporting and
environmental monitoring and tracking of measures
• LA Regional structures leading on regional delivery and implementation
• Essential that structures work together to achieve progress

12. Role of local authorities in preparation
of the plan
• Regional local authority structures
– Public consultationon the draft river basin management plan
• Feedback on draftRBMP
• Inputon regional prioritisation
– Prioritisation of catchmentsfor action, taking accountof;
• High level plan priorities – EPA recommendations arethe starting point
• Feasibility
• Available resources whilebalancing competing demands
• Ability of other national authorities to supportactions in priority catchments (e.g. Irish Water, Department
of Agriculture)
• Feedback fromconsultation process
– Develop regional work programme for priority catchments,specifying;
• Measures to be implemented
• Responsiblebodies
• Assigned resources
• Expected timelines for implementation
• Community and stakeholder engagement

13. Role of local authorities in
implementation of the plan
• Regional local authority structures
– Coordinated delivery of measures at regional and local level
– Tracking progress and effectiveness of measures
– Annual reporting of progress
– Ensuring public and stakeholder engagementin implementation
– On-going enforcement activities
– Supporting national policy development and implementation through
participation on NCMC and WPAC

14. Delivering on implementation
• National Coordination and Management Committee
– Project managementof plan preparation and implementation
– Partnership approach (local authorities, EPA and department)

15. Communication & Engagement
• Public consultation highlighted need for:
(i) better engagement in water policy at national level
(ii) facilitating public and stakeholder engagement at local
level
• Response to these issues in RBMP
(i) National Water Forum will feed into WPAC and other
structures
(ii) Local Authority Waters and Community Office (LAWCO) to
drive public participation and consultationand co-
ordinate this across all local authorities
(iii) Also EPA networking/knowledge sharing and
catchments.ie website

16. Investment in the new approach
• EPA has established a new Catchment
Science and Management Unit
• Local authorities have established a new
Water and Communities Office (LAWCO)
– Public engagement and participation
– Local implementation of measures
• www.Catchments.ie website

17. Key expected outcomes
1. Continued implementation of NAP & targeted RDP schemes
2. National Dairy Sustainability Forum and other knowledge transfer
initiatives in agriculture sector
3. Investment in waste water infrastructure and delivery & operational
improvements bringing about compliance
4. For other sectors broad alignment of strategies and programmes with
water quality objectives
5. Protected area improvements
6. Improved implementation structures
7. Prioritised supporting measures driven through regional LA structures
(supported by EPA evidence base)
8. LAWCO and the National Public Water Forum
9. Envisage gradual but sustained improvements over next 2 cycles