09/04/2003

Archived item. This item is published here for historical reasons. The information below may be out of date.

Cullen Approves €7.8 Million River Basin Management Project For The Eastern Region

Minister launches www.wfdireland.ie

Mr Martin Cullen TD, Minister for the Environment and Local Government, has today (9th April) announced his formal approval of funding of €7.86 million for the Eastern River Basin Management Project.

The Minister also announced the launch of the website www.wfdireland.ie. The purpose of the website is to provide information to all interested parties about implementation of the EU Water Framework Directive (2000/60/EEC) in Ireland.  

Announcing the €7.8million funding, Minister Cullen said: “This investment will lead to cleaner rivers in the Eastern region. Furthermore, a systematic and comprehensive management system will be put in place. Enhanced mechanisms to identify and manage sources of pollution can now be identified, thus protecting waters of good quality.  

“State of the art computerised based GIS systems will identify and collate all human activities that impact on waters in the region. Quality objectives will be set and the necessary monitoring and management measures will be put in place to achieve those objectives”, he said.  

The project will be led by Dublin City Council on behalf of the 12 participating local authorities including Drogheda Borough Council and Dublin City Council and the county councils of Cavan, Dun Laoghaire/Rathdown, Fingal, Kildare, Louth, Meath, Offaly, South Dublin, Westmeath, and Wicklow. It includes major river systems such as the Avoca/Vartry, Boyne, Nanny, Dartry, Dodder and Liffey.  

The Eastern Region covers a land area of some 6,263 square kilometres. The Project accommodates a population of approximately 1.25 million people, including major urban centres such as Dublin city and county, Bray and Greystones, Drogheda, Navan, Naas, Leixlip, Newbridge and Celbridge.  

The Minister said: “This project involves a comprehensive approach to water management and, in addition to the relevant local authorities, will also include participation by numerous other agencies and interests in relation to agriculture, fisheries, flood management, habitat protection and tourism. “It will enable water quality planning and management for the Eastern Region to be addressed on an integrated, whole catchment basis marking a significant advance in our approach to protection and improvement of this major resource in the region”.  

Launching the website 'www.wfdireland.ie', Minister Cullen said: “Easy access to information will promote awareness of water management issues and will facilitate and support involvement of interested parties in the implementation of the Directive. The website has been designed to be useful to a broad range of people with differing levels of interest.  

“The aims and objectives of the Water Framework Directive are clearly spelled out with maps and diagrams and basic information. For those wishing to look a little deeper at the Directive there is an array of links to other websites to explore and documents to download. The website also has an e-mail facility where individuals can request more specific information. Material on the website will be updated to reflect developments in implementation of the Directive”, the Minister concluded.  

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Note for Editors  

1. The Eastern River Basin Management Project is a co-operative, regional initiative is part of a new generation of major projects, proposed by local authorities, which will make a significant contribution towards implementation of the EU Water Framework Directive.

The establishment of an integrated water quality monitoring and management system for all waters in the region, including related coastal waters and groundwaters, will be the central feature of the project. The project will also provide the bulk of the information needed for the development of a comprehensive River Basin Management Plan for the area. 

The work of the Three Rivers Project will be incorporated into, and brought forward in the context of this new project insofar as it relates to the Boyne and Liffey river basins. 

2. Co-ordinated water management on the basis of river basins is the main theme of the Water Framework Directive (WFD) which requires the maintenance of 'high status' waters where they exist, the prevention of any deterioration of status in any waters and the achievement of at least 'good status' in relation to all waters by 2015. This involves a comprehensive approach to water management which brings together the local authorities and numerous other agencies and interests in relation to agriculture, fisheries, flood management and habitat protection.

The WFD sets a framework for comprehensive management of water resources in the European Community, within a common approach and with common objectives, principles and basic measures. It addresses inland surface waters, estuarine and coastal waters and groundwater. Member States will have to ensure that a co-ordinated approach is adopted for the achievement of the objectives of the WFD and for the implementation of programmes of measures for this purpose. The objectives of the WFD are:

to protect and enhance the status of aquatic ecosystems (and terrestrial ecosystems and wetlands directly dependent on aquatic ecosystems)

to promote sustainable water use based on long-term protection of available water resources

to provide for sufficient supply of good quality surface water and groundwater as need for sustainable, balanced and equitable water use

to provide for enhanced protection and improvement of the aquatic environment by reducing / phasing out of discharges, emissions and losses of priority substances

to protect the existing status of waters from deterioration and to achieve 'good status' (as defined) in surface waters and groundwaters within a 15-year timeframe generally

to mitigate the effects of floods and droughts

to protect territorial and marine waters

to establish a register of “protected areas” e.g. areas designated for protection of habitats or species.