Kieran O'Donnell
Limerick City · Fine Gael · Ireland
“The triangle of supports of home care, day care and meals on wheels services — including dementia-specific supports — plays a vital role in helping older people to age well in their own communities. Meals on wheels services provide much more than nutritious meals.”
“The organisation currently operates a day care service four days per week, supporting approximately 60 registered users, and a meals on wheels service with 104 registered users. The HSE has advised that increased funding has been committed to support the organisation.”
“I join the Leas-Chathaoirleach in welcoming the Kellehers to the Seanad, which is a beautiful building in its own right. I thank Senator Kelleher for raising this important matter. He has advocated for Westgate Foundation over a sustained period of time and that has to be acknowledged. I know the work it does is close to his heart.”
“I again thank the Senator for raising Westgate Foundation in Ballincollig and the work it does on behalf of the community, particularly older people. The Senator referred to housing on-site. It is very much an integrated model. I could see how committed the staff and the board, many of them voluntary, were.”
“The Government has significantly increased investment in meals on wheels services in recent years. Funding increased from €3.5 million in 2022 to €6.25 million in 2025, with a further €2 million allocated in budget 2026 to support service expansion and maintenance.”
“The shared objective of the HSE and Westgate Foundation is to ensure high-quality day care and meals on wheels services continue to be available to older people who rely on them, particularly in the greater Ballincollig area.”
The complete record
Every one of 1,420 lines we hold for Kieran O'Donnell, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 11 of 29.
“I thank the Deputy for raising this important matter, which I am taking on behalf of the Minister for Health, Deputy Jennifer Carroll MacNeill. The Government remains fully committed to the implementation of healthcare reform under the Sláintecare framework, ensuring that patients receive the right care in the right place at the right time. Central to our hospital avoidance strategy is the development of injury units, which provide safe and efficient care for injuries that are unlikely to require hospital admission, such as broken bones, sprains and burns. These units are designed to provide the same level of care for specific conditions as an emergency department but more locally and with significantly shorter waiting times.”
“On the Deputy's specific request, I will meet representatives of the HSE in Cork to discuss the delivery of home support hours and will update him accordingly.”
“Going back to the specific request in relation to Cork, I will meet with the HSE in Cork to discuss recruitment, waiting lists, waiting times and the plans that are in place to recruit people and, more particularly, to bring down the waiting times. Home support is a priority for the Government. We have made record levels of investment of more than €900 million. As already stated, the home support providers Bill will increase and improve the quality of care available in the sector. Furthermore, there is a commitment in the programme for Government regarding the design of a statutory home care scheme. In the context of the practicalities, we have provided an addition of 1.7 million hours. That was a priority in the budget.”
“Since the strategic workforce advisory group was established, record levels of care have been delivered in the community. Within the Department, work is ongoing to explore options to increase the effectiveness of home support and to address waiting list issues experienced by clients around the country. Among the changes will be to explore the use of assistive technology in home support initiatives in order to directly address rural home support provision. Research is ongoing in the Department to improve the current provision of home support in communities and enable our home support service to take advantage of new technology and the support available in the sector to support clients in the service.”
“The home support services is a core service for older people. It is a highly valuable service used by them, their families and the HSE. Delivery of a high-quality consistent home support service is essential to help people to live well in their homes and communities for as long as possible. Recruitment to this sector is an ongoing challenge for both the HSE and private providers. Within the HSE, work is ongoing at the regional and national level to build capacity to support workforce development and improve access to home care services in the community. Within the Department of Health, work to deliver on the recommendations of the strategic workforce advisory group to support the recruitment and retention of workers in essential front-line care roles is continuing.”
“I will meet with the HSE personnel involved in home support in Cork to see if we can reduce waiting lists and waiting times. For those who are waiting for them, home support packages are hugely important. The home support providers Bill has just passed the Second Stage. The purpose of this legislation is to improve the regulation of the sector. More importantly, it is the first step in ensuring that home care will be provided in the context of a statutory home care scheme. On the particular issue that the Deputy has raised in respect of Cork, I will follow up directly with my officials and the HSE in Cork. I will also follow up with the HSE nationally.”
“Improving these lists requires more support and more workers at a time where there are international challenges with recruiting healthcare workers. The strategic workforce advisory group on home carers and nursing home healthcare assistants was set up in 2022 to address the challenges relating to front-line carer roles in the home support and long-term residential care sector. Work continues to deliver on the recommendations of this group, including a survey on the experience of healthcare assistants, which is due to be launched shortly. This will inform development of future target interventions to increase recruitment retention in the sector. I will take this matter up with the HSE, at national and local level. I have already held meetings with representatives of the HSE.”
“The HSE is committed to attracting additional staff and increasing its capacity to deliver support to as many clients as possible. The HSE is running ongoing recruitment campaigns as well as supporting the professional development of staff working in the area. HSE south west has advised that recruitment efforts in the Cork region are ongoing with a recruitment campaign currently live to recruit healthcare assistant staff in Cork and Kerry. Additionally, HSE south west has advised that dedicated recruitment co-ordinators for healthcare assistant, home support, run campaigns throughout the year. In the six months from August 2025 to January 2026, 29 healthcare assistants, home support, have been hired in the Cork region. More broadly, addressing the home support waiting list is a priority for the Government.”
“In the Cork area, provisional figures from the HSE indicate that over 2.2 million hours of home support were delivered up to the end of November 2025. This represents an increase of 6.5% compared to the number of hours delivered in the same period in 2024. There were 6,022 people receiving a home support service at the end of November 2025, compared to 5,796 at the end of November 2024, which is a 3.9% increase. The waiting list for home support services in this area at the end of December 2025 stood at 915 people. Of these, 547 people were waiting for new packages, while 368 people were waiting for additional hours. The HSE has stated that it is acutely aware that there are capacity issues across both direct and indirect provision of home support throughout the region.”
“I thank Deputy John Paul O’Shea for raising this important matter. The Government is committed to supporting older people in Ireland and improving their access to healthcare services in the community. Budget 2026 saw an increase of approximately €215 million to maintain and enhance services for older people, resulting in a total allocation of over €3 billion for the first time. This includes a further substantial increase for home support services to bring the 2026 budget allocation to over €900 million, more than doubling the investment since 2018. The target for the delivery of home support hours has increased accordingly, from 24 million hours in 2025 to 26.7 million hours for 2026. That is an increase of 1.7 million hours.”
“The billing and collection of rates is solely a matter for the relevant local authority and, as I said, Tailte Éireann has no function in that regard.”
“I again thank the Deputy for raising this matter and giving me the opportunity to clarify the position regarding commercial rates liabilities for ECCE facilities and the role of Tailte Éireann in the matter. As I said earlier, I am taking this Topical Issue debate on behalf of the Minister, Deputy Browne. Tailte Éireann is independent in the exercise of its valuation functions under the Valuation Act, as amended. The Act provides that early childhood care and education facilities that are operated on a not-for-profit basis are exempt from rates. It does not provide a general exemption from rates from all childcare or childminding facilities operating on a for-profit basis. There are a number of avenues of redress for an occupier of a property who is dissatisfied with a determination of valuation by Tailte Éireann.”
“The billing and collection of rates is solely a matter for the relevant local authority. Tailte Éireann has no function in that regard.”
“Later in the process, if the occupier is still dissatisfied with the determination, there is a right of appeal to the Valuation Tribunal, which is an independent body set up for the purpose of hearing appeals against determinations of Tailte Éireann. Thereafter, there is a right of appeal to the higher courts on a point of law. Under Irish law, there is a distinct separation of functions as between the valuation of rateable property and the setting and collection of commercial rates. The commercial rates payable on a particular property is a product of the valuation of that property, as determined by Tailte Éireann, multiplied by the annual rate on valuation, ARV, which is set annually by the elected members of the local authority as part of its budgetary process.”
“To avoid ambiguity, if an early childhood care and education facility is operated on a for-profit basis, then it does not fulfil the criteria for exemption under paragraph 22. As a matter of course, Tailte Éireann examines all properties on their individual merits by reference to the relevant statutory provisions governing the operation of the Act and case law arising from the independent Valuation Tribunal and the higher courts. There are a number of avenues of redress for an occupier of a rateable property who is dissatisfied with a determination of valuation by Tailte Éireann made under the provisions of the Valuation Act 2001, as amended. First, before a determination is made, there is a right to make representations to Tailte Éireann in relation to a proposed valuation.”
“Paragraph 22 of Schedule 4, which was inserted by the Valuation (Amendment) Act 2015, refers specifically to early childhood care and education facilities and provides an exemption for: "Any land, building or part of a building used exclusively for the provision of early childhood care and education, and occupied by a body which is not established and the affairs of which are not conducted for the purpose of making a private profit". Therefore, while the Act provides that early childhood care and education facilities that are operated on a not-for-profit basis are exempt from rates, it does not provide a general exemption from rates for all childcare or childminding facilities operating on a for-profit basis.”
“Tailte Éireann has overall responsibility under the Act for the maintenance of all valuation lists used by local authorities in the calculation of rates liabilities. Under the Act, all property is rateable unless it falls into one of the exempt categories listed in Schedule 4 to the Act. There is a very specific range of exemptions that can be applied and Tailte Éireann has no discretionary latitude to grant exemptions not covered by Schedule 4.”
“I thank the Deputy for raising this matter and giving me the opportunity to clarify the position regarding early childhood care and education facilities, commercial rates and the role of Tailte Éireann in that regard. I am taking this Topical Issue on behalf of the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Deputy Browne. Tailte Éireann is an independent Government agency that provides a property registration system, property valuation service and national mapping and surveying infrastructure for the State. It is independent in the exercise of its valuation functions under the Valuation Act 2001, as amended, and neither the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage nor his Department has any function in decisions in this regard.”
“Section 13(4B) of the Act of 2024 was added on Seanad Report Stage to include a regulation-making power for the Minister to prescribe certain classes of licence requests as requiring public notification. The amendment takes account of the input on Seanad Committee Stage in relation to a licence for telecommunications masts and ensures there is public notification process for such licence applications. Specifically, I will bring the further points Deputy McGrath raised to the attention of Department officials and the Minister, Deputy Browne.”
“Once again, I thank Deputy McGrath for raising this Topical Issue matter, which I am taking on behalf of the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Deputy Browne. The Planning and Development Act 2024 was signed into law by the then President on 17 October 2024. The Department is putting arrangements in place to implement the phased commencement of the Act of 2024 to transition to new legislation across the planning system, taking account of the need to liaise with local authorities, planning bodies and other stakeholders. The existing provisions of the Planning and Development Act 2000 will remain in place until the relevant provisions of the Bill are commenced. Section 254 of the Act of 2000 will be replaced by sections 13 and 14 of the Act of 2024 on commencement of those sections.”
“Under section 254(6), any person may, in relation to the granting, refusing, withdrawing or continuing of a licence under this section or to the conditions specified by the planning authority for such a licence, appeal to An Coimisiún Pleanála under section 30 of the Act.”
“If a planning authority fails to make a decision within a period of four months commencing on the date of receipt of an application, a decision of the planning authority to grant a licence shall be deemed to have been made on the day following the expiration of that period of four months. Where a planning authority requests additional information from the applicant and has not made a decision within a period of four months of receiving the applicant's response to the request, a deemed decision to grant a licence shall be deemed to have been made. A deemed decision to grant a licence shall be subject to the condition that the network operator concerned, in advance of commencement of the works, shall inform the planning authority concerned and the National Roads Authority or road authority where applicable.”
“Within the statutory framework, licensing is a matter for each individual local authority and the Minister with responsibility for planning has no role in the matter. In considering an application for a licence under section 254(5) of the Act, a planning authority shall have regard to the proper planning and sustainable development of the area, development plans, the number and location of existing appliances and the convenience and safety of road users, including pedestrians. Section 254(5A) of the Act outlines the licensing process in respect of an application for a licence to erect, construct, place or maintain overground electronic communication infrastructure and any associated physical infrastructure, including telecommunications poles.”
“The Act provides that a public road has the same meaning as the Roads Act 1993, which defines it as "a road over which a public right of way exists and the responsibility for the maintenance of which lies on a road authority". A person applying for a licence must provide the planning authority with such plans and other information concerning the position, design and capacity of the appliance, apparatus or structure as the authority may require. A licence may be granted by the planning authority for such period and upon such conditions as may be specified, including conditions in relation to location, design, space taken up by the appliance and the need to protect protected structures, etc.”
“I thank Deputy McGrath for raising this Topical Issue matter relating to section 254 licence applications for telecommunications infrastructure and proximity to residential properties, which I am taking on behalf of the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Deputy Browne. Under section 30 of the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended, the Minister with responsibility for planning is specifically precluded from exercising any power or control in relation to any planning-related matter with which a planning authority or the board is or may be concerned. Section 254 of the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended, provides for a licensing system for appliances and structures placed on, above, under or along a public road, including footpaths.”
“Additional funding has been provided to Uisce Éireann, governance has been strengthened, programmes have been put in place and measures have been implemented that will be targeted locally to deliver positive environment outcomes. After detailed and careful consideration, the Government has decided to oppose this Bill, as it would be counterproductive to the work that has already been undertaken in the River Boyne, as many of the proposals in the Bill are already in place. However, we take on board the points that have been raised by the Deputies. The Minister, Deputy Browne, encourages those who have contributed to the Bill to continue to engage fully with the structures and processes already put in place to manage and protect catchments, such as the Boyne.”
“As I highlighted, the Bill would impact the functions of local authorities and appears to overlap with provisions already in place through existing legislation without any clarity on how these proposals would bring added benefit to the Boyne catchment. I assure the public that the Government is working to address the issues highlighted here today and is fully committed to protecting water quality nationwide. I note the points that both Deputies have raised and they are issues the Department and Government will take on board, but we are opposing the Bill on the basis that we believe it could be counterproductive to what is an overall national policy, which will impact on the Boyne as well. We have made very good progress in the water sector in the last number of years.”
“The third water action plan has given us a solid blueprint for how we can build and evolve our ambition for the next cycle. The next water action plan will build upon the water I have outlined here today. We will again look to deliver on integrated multiple policy objectives for water, biodiversity and climate wherever possible. This integrated approach will deliver gains for our water quality and ensure that we can deliver the right measures in the right places. Public consultation on significant water management issues for the fourth water framework directive cycle was launched in December last. This public consultation is intended to help identify the issues that the fourth water action plan will seek to address and is an important opportunity for the public to express their views on what our priorities should be.”
“The Government has already commenced future planning for the water quality sector that will be implemented into the next decade. Officials from my Department have begun the process of developing Ireland's fourth water basin management plan - the water action plan 2028 to 2033. With the indulgence of An Cathaoirleach Gníomhach, if he allows me to continue, I will take an extra minute or two.”
“The Boyne catchment community forums will undertake many important tasks, including contributing to the development of the catchment management work plan for the catchment. The catchment community forums will ensure that local communities have a say regarding water quality in their catchments. I strongly encourage local community stakeholders to fully participate in this opportunity to help shape the future of their water environment. In addition, the Government is providing the necessary funding to upgrade our water infrastructure. Under the updated national development plan, Uisce Éireann will invest €11.7 billion up to 2030 to support the delivery of key strategic projects to deliver the additional water services capacity required for the new housing targets while prioritising public health and safeguarding the environment.”
“In addition, the programme delivery office is overseeing the development of catchment management plans through the local authorities water programme, LAWPRO. These work plans will outline the issues to be addressed and the roles and responsibilities of implementing bodies such as local authorities. The Boyne catchment has been selected as one of the pilot projects in which the new work plans are being developed and tested. Community stakeholders will also play a pivotal role in helping to address our water quality, particularly through the catchment community forums that are being introduced under the water action plan. These community forums are currently running as pilot projects in five catchments throughout the country, including the Boyne catchment.”
“The Bill as proposed would do the opposite by including an additional layer of administration and would isolate the catchment from the effective structures that are already in place. I spoke briefly earlier about some of the work that is being undertaken to help to address negative impacts on water in the Boyne catchment. By virtue of measures and initiatives currently in place through the 2024 water action plan, we are already undertaking many of the proposals outlined in the Bill to tackle the impacts on water quality. A dedicated programme delivery office was established in early 2025 with responsibility for co-ordinating the work of relevant national and local structures to drive the delivery of the plan and for reporting on progress with the implementation of the measures that will address the pressures on water quality.”
“It also sustains our biodiversity and nature through unpolluted and healthy ecosystems, while clean and hygienic drinking water supplies ensure the health of our citizens. Managed effectively, water plays a key role in strengthening the resilience of our social, economic and environmental systems. The lesson that can be taken away from the most recent EPA report is that while we still need to do more to address problems of water quality, Ireland is ahead of many other European member states with regard to water quality. This Government is taking action to address the impacts on our water quality. The EPA water quality report highlighted several areas for improvement, including the necessity of improved data sharing and integration between the implementing bodies, water quality programmes and State agencies.”
“I am dealing with this on behalf of the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Deputy Browne. I thank Deputy Nash for introducing this Labour Party Bill. I also thank him and Deputy O'Rourke for their contributions to the debate this evening. While the Minister welcomes the genuine intentions of the Bill in attempting to address issues in the Boyne catchment, this Government is already implementing a comprehensive set of measures, policies and administrative structures that are contributing to addressing such issues, not just within the Boyne catchment but at a national level. Water is one of the most important natural resources. In so many ways it is central to our economy and way of life. It is essential for our tillage and livestock which ensures stable and high-quality food production.”
“As stated, after careful consideration, the Government has decided it will oppose this Bill as it would be counterproductive to the significant work already being undertaken in the River Boyne, given that many of the proposed elements of the Bill are already in place. The Bill would add an additional layer of administration for local authorities and the agencies and bodies that operate in the Boyne catchment. The Minister, Deputy Browne, would like to encourage those who have contributed to the proposed Bill to continue to engage fully with the structures and processes already put in place to manage and protect catchments such as the Boyne. As mentioned, I am taking this debate on his behalf and I look forward to hearing the contributions to the debate.”
“The loss of the contribution of established governance structures such as the water policy advisory committee and LAWPRO to the work being undertaken in the Boyne catchment cannot be underestimated and may have the unintended consequence of isolating the catchment from water quality developments being made at the national level. The water action plan governance structures are in place to deal with the water functions outlined in the Bill, and the co-ordination and engagement is already ongoing with the development of both the Boyne catchment community fora and catchment management work plan, which will form the foundation for water quality action and improvements going forward.”
“On behalf of the Minister, Deputy Browne, I reiterate that significant progress is being made and the funding, projects and initiatives I have outlined show this Government is committed to addressing problems with water quality at catchment level. These will benefit not only the Boyne catchment and surrounding areas but all of our nation’s rivers, lakes and waterways. Water quality measures are being implemented in the Boyne catchment, and the Bill would add an additional layer of supervision for these measures with limited, if any, practical benefit.”
“Section 52 of the Act provides that if two or more local authorities wish to establish a joint committee or committees, they may do so. The proposals in the Bill would therefore appear to remove discretion and choice in the establishment of a particular committee from the regional assembly and possibly from the relevant local authorities as well. The Bill proposes to remove functions from local authorities and to transfer them to the task force. It is not clear why the proposed task force is considered to be better placed to perform these functions than the local authorities already performing them. It is also not clear how the task force’s decisions would be implemented, nor what associated resourcing would be needed to support the body or whether this would be more cost-effective than existing arrangements.”
“From a local government perspective, the Bill proposes a number of provisions that appear to overlap with provisions in existing legislation. Regional assemblies already have a range of co-ordinating functions under legislation, including in relation to research and gathering information. Regional assemblies may also appoint their own committees. Furthermore, it is not clear what interaction is envisaged between the existing statutory strategic planning committees of the Eastern and Midland Regional Assembly and the proposed task force, which would have functions in relation to planning. Section 51 of the Local Government Act 2001 empowers local authorities to establish, by resolution of the elected members, one or more committees "to consider matters connected with the functions of the authority".”
“The regulations also place increased obligations on local authorities by assigning responsibility to them for regional co-ordination through LAWPRO as the local authority shared service, public participation and support to the Minister and the EPA in the development and implementation of water quality measures. Funded by the Department, LAWPRO co-ordinates efforts among local authorities to achieve good or high water quality in our water bodies. The ongoing work of LAWPRO will be key in the current third cycle, and in particular the catchment work it is prioritising in 343 of the priority areas for action that are outlined in the water action plan. I believe the proposed Bill would be unintentionally counterproductive to the significant work being carried out at a national, regional and local level, led by local authorities.”
“These governance structures work towards addressing the impacts on our water quality at a national, local and cross-sectoral level and have brought a new strategic and leadership focus on addressing the blockages towards effective implementation and resolution of the issues. The proposed Bill also specifies the functions assigned by or under the European Communities (Water Policy) Regulations 2003 to local authorities shall, in relation to the Boyne catchment, be performed on behalf of the relevant local authorities by the task force.”
“The water policy advisory committee is also supported by other important bodies such as the national co-ordination and management committee, which is chaired by the Department and includes the local authority chairs of the regional management committees, LAWPRO and the EPA, and works as the programme management committee for the water action plan. The regional management committees and regional operational committees were established as forums where local authorities, agencies and other implementing bodies under the water action plan could highlight and overcome operational challenges at a regional and local level, and if required, raise issues and barriers to water framework directive implementation with the high-level governance structures for resolution.”
“The role of the water policy advisory committee within the Boyne catchment is an important element as it works at the highest level in the governance structures working to improve our water quality. The functions of the committee include advising on policy in relation to the preparation of river basin management plans, the preparation of a programme of measures to achieve environmental objectives and promoting appropriate activities necessary to support achieving the objectives of the water framework directive.”
“Such activities could impact the natural flow of the Boyne catchment’s waterways and have unintended consequences that could negatively impact the hydromorphological flow and impede the work that is being undertaken by the national barrier mitigation programme. In all, under the Department’s water quality capital programme, €41.5 million has been committed in 2026 to projects such as the farming for water EIP project, the national barrier mitigation programme and numerous other beneficial projects. Another aspect that must be examined is the proposal in the Bill to remove the functions assigned under the 2014 European Union (Water Policy) Regulations to both the water advisory committee and local authorities.”
“In terms of the physical health of natural water bodies, a new national hydromorphology programme has been established with the long-term vision of mitigating the negative impact of past construction on rivers to restore their flow, form and function. Inland Fisheries Ireland, with co-funding from the Department, has launched the national barrier mitigation programme, which will work to restore the natural flow of waterways through the removal of legacy barriers and weirs. The Bill proposes carrying out works under the functions of the task force that may involve the dredging, straightening, deepening or widening of waterways to improve navigation of the Boyne catchment.”
“Kildare has two sanctioned inspectors in addition to extra staff working on the programme, while Louth has one inspector and Offaly has two inspectors. In March 2024, the farming for water European innovation partnership, EIP, project was launched. This initiative is co-funded by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage with the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, and is managed by LAWPRO in collaboration with other agencies. It is investing funding of €60 million over five years. The project aims to support farmers to improve water quality by promoting the adoption of innovative best practice in nutrient management and the application of nature-based solutions to reduce losses of phosphorous, nitrogen, sediment and pesticides from agricultural lands to water bodies.”
“The template is due to be launched in 2026, will include specific actions assigned to each local authority for the protection and restoration of water quality and will specify reporting requirements and data flows from which to accurately report on the progress with their implementation. The Department recently launched the sixth nitrates programme, with the accompanying good agricultural regulations having come into effect on 1 January this year. In recent years, the Department established the national agricultural inspection programme, which funds an additional 57 local authority inspectors with an aim of carrying out inspections of 4,500 farms per annum. These inspections are targeted where, using EPA information, there is a risk of impact on water quality. Up to three inspectors have been employed in Meath.”
“Catchment management work plans are a new initiative under the water action plan that have being developed and implemented in conjunction with LAWPRO, and are being developed for each of the 46 catchments. The purpose of the catchment management work plans will be to set out the actions identified by implementing bodies required for water bodies and to share information on catchment characteristics, current water quality issues and pressures, thereby aiding water quality at a catchment level. In addition to the national river basin management plan, local authorities are required to prepare their own local authority water action plans. LAWPRO is working with the EPA and the programme delivery office in the Department to produce a template for all local authorities from which they will develop a dedicated local plan for water quality.”
“Targeting the right measure in the right place is the main approach adopted under the plan, and the results of the recent EPA water quality report show that this approach is working in targeted areas and in particular in the priority areas for action that have been selected under the plan for targeted measures. Several priority areas for action are being administered by the local authority waters programme, LAWPRO, and the relevant local authorities with the aim of restoring water quality in the Boyne catchment. The work being undertaken by LAWPRO in the Boyne catchment alone is focused on 33 water bodies across five priority areas for action. It involves LAWPRO carrying out local catchment assessments to identify pressures on water quality and working with implementing bodies to resolve these issues.”
“The water action plan is the principal means through which we are addressing our water quality. Building on the work of previous cycles, and by incorporating the integrated catchment management approach, the plan sets out the necessary environmental objectives and lays out the roadmap through which we will work to restore and protect our water bodies at a national level up to 2027. The water action plan has an increased level of ambition, offers multiple benefits for nature and biodiversity and offers role clarity and collaborative implementation for the many implementing bodies at national, regional and catchment level that play a vital role in its delivery.”