Ireland’s local councils complain at lack of funding to clean up waterways

Ireland’s local councils are finding it increasingly difficult to comply with new legislation that has been implemented to comply with the EU Water Framework Directive (2000).

The new legislation aims to protect inland and coastal waters, improve the water quality, promote sustainable use of the water and reduce the impacts from severe weather conditions such as flooding and drought.

However, Irish local authorities are struggling to find the the resources to enable them to keep up with the legislation. At the Irish Water, Waste and Environment showin Dublin, John O’Connor of Kerry County Council, said that local councils need more funding if they are to keep waterways up to standard.

The legislation is implemented and co-ordinated at a national level by the Irish Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the environment department. It is carried out locally by the River Basin District Advisory Councils, who work alongside the relevant local councils.

O’Conner said in his speech: : “We are great at putting committees together to carry out functions, but we are not great at resourcing them.

“We have to look at other authorities in Europe and how they are funding it and we have to become innovative.”

Colin Bryne, a spokesperson for the Irish government, said that the national government is “keenly aware” of the problem.

Bryne added “There’s a lot of new legislation and new functions coming out and not necessarily the resources to go with them.”

However, he also said that local councils need to get more efficient, and should consider working together to employ specialists so as to take advantage of economies of scale.