People in Louth to get chance to air views on local water quality
Two public meetings to be held in Louth
People in Louth are urged to give their views on local water quality at one of two open meetings being held in the county over the next month, as part of the public consultation on the draft River Basin Management Plan.
The consultation is currently open and members of the public or interested parties can make submissions online (until March 31st) at www.gov.ie/draftRBMP or through the Local Authorities Water Programme (LAWPRO) at here.
At these virtual meetings, attendees will have the opportunity to hear from LAWPRO representatives on the factors affecting water quality in their local area, with an opportunity for local stakeholders and members of the public to share their views on the Government’s draft River Basin Management Plan.
The meetings for Louth residents will take place on these days and times:
Thursday 24 February 2022 at 7.00pm:
Collon, Philpotstown, Dunleer, Clogherhead, Annagassan, Stabbanon, Tallonstown, Mansfieldstown, Castlebellingham, Dromiskin, Darver, Louth, Drogheda, Baltray, Tullyallen, Termonfeckin, Sandpit, Tinure, Monasterboice
Tuesday 1 March 2022 at 7.00pm:
Knockbridge, Blackrock, Dundalk, Lurgankiel, Monascreebe, Ballymascanlan, Omeath, Carlingford, Greenore, Grange, Jenkinstown
A full list of meetings and information on how to register can be found here https://lawaters.ie/rbmp-public-meetings-2022/.
The public meetings will be complemented by a new Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage digital campaign to generate as much participation as possible.
The draft River Basin Management Plan sets out an increased ambition for how water quality is managed in Ireland. There are 4842 water bodies in Ireland, organised in 46 catchment areas and 54 % of all waterbodies are considered to be at risk of not meeting Water Framework Directive objectives by 2027.
A number of pressures are impacting water quality including agriculture, hydromorphology (physical changes), urbanisation and waste water treatment. The draft Plan also takes account of the impacts of climate change on our water and biodiversity.
Commenting on the planned meetings, Minister of State with responsibility for Heritage and Electoral Reform, Malcolm Noonan TD, said that “by getting involved, members of the public will be helping to shape the overall management of Ireland’s rivers, lakes and streams."
He added, "in recent years, we have made substantial progress in how we manage our water services and how we work together to protect and improve water quality, but challenges remain and we have much more to do. By working together, we can develop a pathway to achieve our environmental objectives and deliver the clean waters and healthy freshwater ecosystems that are vital for protecting public health, supporting economic growth and restoring aquatic biodiversity.”