Water protection plans attacked
Environmental campaigners have attacked the Government?s plans for protecting the country?s waters
Sunday March 21 2010
Environmental campaigners have attacked the Government's plans for protecting the country's waters.
On the eve of World Water Day activists said new management proposals were wholly inadequate in preventing pollution of rivers, lakes and bays.
The Sustainable Water Network (SWAN) claimed raw or insufficiently treated sewage was flowing into more than 100 locations nationwide because of poor handling of waste water.
The Government is required to produce water management plans under the European Union's Water Framework Directive.
But SWAN - which is made up of 24 different campaign groups - urged Environment Minister John Gormley not to sign off on the proposals.
"Despite the fact that under law they must set out a management plan for all our waters, our coastal waters are being completely ignored. This is a disgrace, given that we are an island nation and rely on clean coasts for fishing, business, recreation and tourism," spokeswoman Sinead O'Brien said.
A spokesman for the Department of the Environment said Mr Gormley had not yet seen the plans, which are being drafted up by local authorities before being submitted to him.
"He's anxious to have plans of the highest quality possible so when he sees them he will look at them in detail and see if anything needs to be addressed."
The spokesman defended the department's handling of water management.
"More money than ever before is being invested in water infrastructure in Ireland - 510 million euro this year, which is more than ever - and more resources than ever before are going into water enforcement."
