Level 1 Actions Part B: Level 3 Actions - Donegal County Council

Environmental Sectoral Forum
Central Laboratory, The Kube, Letterkenny
28 May 2009
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Present: Suzanne Tinney, Donegal County Council
Donal Casey, Donegal County Council
Tony McNally, Donegal County Council
Charles Sweeney, Donegal County Council
James O’Donnell, ICMSA
Brendan Maguire, NRFB
John Jackson, Donegal Forestry
Dave Duggan, NPWS
Frank McRory, Donegal County Council
Donal McGettigan, Údarás na Gaeltachta.
Apologies:
1. Minutes:
Donal Casey briefly went through the minutes. All follow up matters were on the agenda.
2. Matters arising:
Donal Casey made a brief comment about the good publicity that Donegal had received
recently in the national media in relation to its beaches and water quality. Perhaps this is an
opportunity to use the good P.R. to help industry such as Tourism.
3. Water Framework Directive
Tony McNally gave a presentation on the recent progress on the Water Framework
Directive. The main focus of the presentation was on the Draft River Basin Management
Plans. The draft plans are published and are on consultation. The next step is to take all the
comments, submissions etc and put forward a plan for adoption by the Councils. The
adoption of the plans is a reserved function, if the Council do not adopt it can be adopted by
the County Manager.
The Plan is a Four Tier Plan.
1. Working Together (document all authorities were involved)
2. Draft River Basin Management Plan (summary framework document)
3. Plan View (Water Maps) these are detailed reports on each individual water body.
4. Background documents (www.wfdireland.ie) includes research documents.
The Plan looks at the following:
1. Key Issues
2. Status of waters (EPA)
3. What the Plan wants to achieve by 2015.
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