Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 21 January 2010
288 Deputy Willie Penrose asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he has received a copy of the Shannon River Authority Bill 2000; his views on developing a single statutory authority to deal with all the issues and problems that have arisen which pertain to the management of the River Shannon; if he will take steps to progress this matter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2849/10]
View answerI am aware of the Shannon River Authority Bill introduced by Deputy Penrose in 2000.
In the period since 2000, significant new water-related legislation has been introduced. The transposition of the Water Framework Directive in 2003 strengthened the catchment based approach to water management with the establishment of eight river basin districts on the island of Ireland, including the Shannon International River Basin District.
Implementation of this Directive is being brought forward through River Basin District projects led by co-ordinating local authorities and funded by my Department. In the case of the Shannon International River Basin District, Limerick County Council is the co-ordinating authority for the making of River Basin Management Plans which will aim to protect and improve the water environment. These plans are currently being finalised and will be published in the coming months. The analysis underpinning the draft plans is providing a significant input into the development of my Department's Water Services Programme 2010-2012.
The river basin management plans will be coordinated with other relevant plans including flood risk management plans to be prepared by the OPW as part of the implementation of the Floods Directive. The Shannon Flood Risk Assessment and Management Study will be commissioned by the OPW this year to identify the level of flood risk throughout the catchment and to produce a prioritised plan of measures to address the risks.
