Dublin Bay – Nature and History
On the fringe of Dublin’s hive of human activity, a miraculous coastal ecosystem carries on as it has done since […]
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Catchment Stories
Open waters, open hearts in Thomastown
A Community River Trust in County Kilkenny is inspiring local love for its waterways. In the small kitchen of a […]
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Tapestry of Light – Ireland’s bogs and wetlands as never seen before
Tapestry of Light Silver netting of the dawn, Embroidered through the silent night, Woven into dewy webs, Suspended tapestry of […]
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The National Water Forum / An Fóram Uisce – working for the common good
If a country’s waters are the prism through which a society’s relationship with its environment can be assessed, then Ireland […]
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Castleisland Community College represent Ireland
Transition year students of Castleisland Community College won the national Water Explorer competition in Dublin. The award honours the pupils […]
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Water Heritage Day: a celebration of water during National Heritage Week 2017
National Heritage Week is held over the last week of August each year and is coordinated by The Heritage Council. […]
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John Walsh, Climate Champion
In August 2017, Dorothy Stewart and Micheál Ó Cinnéide from the EPA had the privilege of visiting John Walsh at […]
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Eco Eye: Pristine Waters
30 years ago there were over 500 pure, unpolluted freshwater sites in Ireland, now there are only 21 left. In […]
Read MoreWho is involved?
Quite simply, everyone in Ireland has a role to play. This can be from something as simple as making sure you don’t pollute your local stream, or a local community working together to establish a Rivers Trust to enhance the rivers and lakes in their area, to a Government Department or Agency helping a Minister implement a new policy to help protect and enhance all our water bodies.
This website has been developed and is maintained by the Environmental Protection Agency, and is a collaboration between the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Local Authority Waters Programme.
Local Authority Waters Programme
The Local Authority Waters Programme coordinates the efforts of local authorities and other public bodies in the implementation of the River Basin Management Plan, and supports local community and stakeholder involvement in managing our natural waters, for everyone’s benefit.
Environmental Protection Agency
The EPA is responsible for coordinating the monitoring, assessment and reporting on the status of our 4,842 water bodies, looking at trends and changes, determining which waterbodies are at risk and what could be causing this, and drafting environmental objectives for each.
Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage
The Department is responsible for making sure that the right policies, regulations and resources are in place to implement the Water Framework Directive, and developing a River Basin Management Plan and Programme of Measures to protect and restore our waters.