Catchment News

This document summarises the cases for extended deadline exemption which are detailed in the final River Basin Management Plans for the North Western, Neagh Bann, Shannon, South Eastern, South Western and Western River Basin Districts. The exemptions are based on the Water Framework Directive objective setting decision tree.

The development of extended deadlines was undertaken under the review and guidance of several organisations. Consultations were held with:

• National Advisory Committee
• Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government
• National Parks and Wildlife Service
• Environmental Protection Agency
• Office of Public Works
• Teagasc
• Department of Agriculture Fisheries and Food

The purpose of consultations was to ensure the scientific robustness of the technical decisions made, and to ensure that the extended deadlines do not impinge on the achievement of objectives under other environmental legislation.

The following cases for extended deadlines are presented in this report:

• Wastewater treatment plant discharges;
• Mines and Contaminated Lands – discharges to groundwaters;
• Agriculture: Nitrogen losses from agriculture to groundwaters;
• Agriculture: Phosphorus losses from agriculture to surface waters by runoff
• Agriculture: Phosphorus losses from agriculture to surface waters via groundwater
  pathways;
• Forestry – acidification risks;
• Chemical pollution and chemical status failures – priority substances and specific
  pollutants;
• Morphology – channelisation risks;
• Morphology – overgrazing risks;
• Nitrogen losses to estuaries;
• Delayed recovery of highly impacted sites.

Each case is described under the following headings:

• Pressure / Reason for extended deadline;
• Precise Type of Exemption being sought (for example technical constraint or physical
  recovery as per the Decision Tree);
• Specific Reason for Exemption – this outlines the technical reasons as to why Good Ecological Status is not achievable by 2015;
• Quality Elements thought likely to fail – based on the technical reasons, this outlines the elements for which GES is unlikely to be achieved by 2015;
• Date – proposed extended deadline;
• Conclusion – Case summary;
• Action – Follow up action required.

The exemptions were based on district level analysis of pressure and risk datasets supplemented by cases based on detailed local information brought forward by Local
Authorities (which have the responsibility for setting objectives in the River Basin Management Plan under the Water Policy Regulations 2003 (as amended).

Note that economic assessment is required where it is necessary to determine whether a particular measure should be applied or whether less stringent objectives or deferred
objectives should be set on the basis of disproportionate cost. Guidance on economic assessment and a baseline report on the economic analysis of water use in Ireland are
available as economic background documents to river basin management plans on www.wfdireland.ie. Economic analysis has not been used to justify deferral of measures or extension of objectives in the North Western, Neagh Bann, Shannon, South Eastern, South Western and Western River Basin Districts.