Appendix C

Community Water Officers in place

Meath & Kildare:

1no. full-time CWO

Westmeath:

CWO vacant position

Cavan:

CWO leading on Newry Fane Glyde Dee pilot

Support available from 2 more CWO’s (Dublin & Wicklow)

Galway & Clare:

1no. full-time CWO

Support available from 2 more CWO’s (Clare & Mayo)

Clare:

1no. full-time CWO

Support available from 1 more CWO (Cork)

Louth, Monaghan, Meath, Cavan, Armagh, Down:

1no. full-time CWO

Support available from 3 more CWO’s (Meath, Longford, Donegal)

Wexford & Carlow:

1 no. full time CWO

Support will be required from other CWOs (e.g. Wicklow)

Number of Community Associations

Meath:

~50 groups engaged with LAWPRO

Kildare:

~70 groups engaged with LAWPRO

Galway:

15 groups engaged with LAWPRO

Clare:

6 groups engaged with LAWPRO

Clare:

22 groups engaged with LAWPRO

Louth: TBC

Monaghan (Carrick-Blayney): TBC

Carlow Tullow 5

Carlow Rathvilly 2

Wexford Slaney 6

For the pilot Catchments

Boyne^[1]

Galway Bay SE

Mal Bay

Newry, Fan, Glyde and Dee

Slaney

Number of Community Water Development Fund projects (2018 – 2022) - Please include names of groups that have had projects approved

Meath CWDF 2022 Projects:

11no. facilitated enquiries

8no. applications 

4no projects approved

Kildare CWDF 2022 Projects:

10no. facilitated enquiries

6no. applications 

6no projects approved

*Please Note: Due to the absence of a full-time CWO for Meath and Kildare in 2020 & 2021, further supporting CWDF data is unavailable

Galway CWDF 2022 Projects:

2no. applications 

2no projects approved

Clare CWDF 2022 Projects:

1no. applications 

1no projects approved

1 No. LAWPRO Feasibility Study Grant Support in 2021 / 2022

Clare CWDF 2022 Projects:

12no. applications8no projects approved

Galway CWDF 2022 Projects:

2no. applications 

2no projects approved

Clare CWDF 2022 Projects:

1no. applications 

1no projects approved

Tullow Tidy Towns community biodiversity plan 2022 (€1650.00)

Tullow tidy towns also took part in Bioblitz with DCU in 2022

Camolin Tidy Towns (approx 2600.00)

Relevant projects (e.g., EIP, LEADER, LIFE, ACRES Co-Op etc.)

IFI National Climate Change Mitigation Research Catchment Project

ACRES; Mid-West Southern Uplands Co-Operation Project & Burren Aran – ACRES Co-operation Project.

LEADER: LAWPRO Water Biodiversity Training 2021/2022

EIP: The Hare’s Corner

ACRES: Two CP areas: Mid-West Southern Uplands Co-Operation Area (significant section of pilot catchment area) & Burren Aran – ACRES Co-operation Area (small section of pilot catchment area)

LEADER: Clare Local Developemnt Company: Biodiversity Training 2020/2021

EIPs (x4):

No. 1 - The Inagh EIP

No. 2 - The Burren Pine / Hares Corner EIP

No. 3 – Illaun EIP

No. 4 - Hemp4Soil EIP

Louth:

4no. LAWPRO funded projects - Hydrocarbon Analysis Project Castletown River Catchment PAA 

- Ring of Gullion Way - Trail Restoration - Options Assessment 

- ORRCA's Spring Series of Catchment Conversations

- Consultation with Michael Bell on the development of wetlands site and biodiversity signage at Monasterboice

1no. EIP

- Carrickrobin Stream Enhancement Project – ORCCA leading

2no. LEADER

- Citizen Science Project (ORCCA; match funded by LAWPRO)

- Citizen Science App development (ORCCA & DkIT)

1no. ACRES Co-Op

- Carlingford Mountain SAC

Monaghan (Carrick-Blayney):

1no. LAWPRO funded projects

- Castleblayney water quality awareness event

1no. LEADER

- Biodiversity study of Lough Muckno & its environs.  

1no. Third-level

- DKIT’s work on relevant pilot source protection plans for drinking water sources (e.g., Oram Churchill GWS (Vicky Veerkamp worked on this))

For the pilot Catchments

Boyne^[1]

Galway Bay SE

Mal Bay

Newry, Fan, Glyde and Dee

Slaney

Number of River Trusts or Catchment Associations

Meath:

1no. Trust.

The Boyne Rivers Trust = potential vehicle through which community fora can be established.

The Boyne Rivers Trust are currently instigating a Catchment-wide Visioning Project for the Boyne, which will have synergies and linkages with the CMP process.

Galway:

1no Catchment Association (Cuan Beo) operating within the catchment with the ambition to forge links and develop projects with groups across the catchment. Cuan Beo’s facilitated 3 water enhancement workshops with Clarinbridge Tidy Towns & members of the community. This work was funded through the CWDF 2022 and resulted in a submission by Cuan Beo supporting the prioritisation of Clarinbridge for an Urban WWTP under the Multi-Annual Rural Water Programme 2022-2025.

Clare:

3 Catchment Associations:

No 1:  Inagh River Catchment Management Association

No. 2: Cloontabonnive Arc Association

No. 3 Doo Lough Catchment Management Association (in formation)

1 no. of associations – Oriel River Catchment & Coastal Association (ORCCA). Technically, the geographical remit of ORCCA extends to the full Newry, Fane, Gylde & Dee catchment. ORCCA are currently involved in 2 LEADER projects & 1 EIP. One member of the group is a regular participant within the iCatch network and support group. Time committed to engagement and outreach work has been extremely limited to date, albeit a WhatsApp currently exists and is actively used for exchange of information by 25 participants including CWO.

1 Slaney Rivers Trust

Leader Development Company interactions

Meath:

CWO has a good working relationship with Meath Partnership

*Note: Meath CWO was employed by Meath partnership previously and has a good rapport with the CWO & LEADER coordinator.

Kildare:

Good working relationship with Kildare LEADER Partnership (LEADER has rolled out Freshwater Training in conjunction with LAWPRO, 2022)

Galway:
CWO has had initial engagements with Galway Rural Development under the LEADER programme. With GRD delivering the LAWPRO designed Water Biodiversity training across the operational area. Good working relationship with LEADER Project Officer. GRD supported Cuan Beo in undertaking an educational programme focusing on water quality and catchment management.

Clare:

Co. Clare CWO has had significant engagement directly with CUAN Beo, the Burren Programme, Acres Burren Aran CP, Burren Pine / Hares Corner EIP, BurrenBeo, Burren IFA, other community reps / interested individuals

Clare:
CWO has had initial engagements with:

Inagh EIP

Inagh River Catchment Management Association

Clare Local Development Company (LEADER)

Inland Fisheries Ireland (regional and local staff)

Clare County Council (incl. elected reps)

Other community reps / interested individuals

Other CMAs / EIPs and local development associations, including Tidy Towns groups and IFA reps.

Louth:

CWO has had one in-person meeting with staff in Louth Leader Partnership. This was related to the delivery of a Invasive Species Training Course, delivered by VERI. CWO involvement was limited to the meeting and exchange of some information/provision of support. Louth Leader Partnership also recently delivered a Freshwater Detective Course & An appreciation for Estuaries & Coastal Environment Course.

Monaghan:

CWO has experienced reasonable engagement with Monaghan Integrated Development. Helped support the delivery of recent course on Understanding and Caring for Monaghan’s Waterways and have supported the promotion of other initiatives for them also. Monaghan Integrated Development have pledged to support a detailed biodiversity study of Lough Muckno & its environs.

Good relationship with Wexford Partnership

Good relationship with Carlow Leader

For the pilot Catchments

Boyne^[1]

Galway Bay SE

Mal Bay

Newry, Fan, Glyde and Dee

Slaney

PPN interactions

Meath:

Recent Meath PPN staff change-over gives scope for LAWPRO to re-engage with Meath PPN and to strengthen our ties with them. Meath PPN has been co-operative and supportive of any LAWPRO requests to-date.

Kildare:

Kildare PPN has excellent capacity and has been very supportive of LAWPRO’s work to-date.

Galway:

Fully operational PPNs within both Galway County and City. Both PPNs supported the LAWPRO draft River Basin Management Plan consultation and have promoted LAWPRO initiatives in the past.

Clare:

Fully operational PPN within Co. Clare with an excellent working relationship with LAWPRO. The Clare PPN supported the LAWPRO draft River Basin Management Plan public consultation process including engagement with the Clare PPN itself and the Clare Environmental Pillar which resulted in a submission by the Clare PPN on the draft RBMP. The Clare PPN have promoted LAWPRO initiatives in the past including CWDF, training, Heritage Week events and the provision on training by the Clare CWO for community groups.

Clare:

Fully operational PPN within Co. Clare with an excellent working relationship with LAWPRO. The Clare PPN supported the LAWPRO draft River Basin Management Plan public consultation process including engagement with the Clare PPN itself and the Clare Environmental Pillar which resulted in a submission by the Clare PPN on the draft RBMP. The Clare PPN have promoted LAWPRO initiatives in the past including CWDF, training, Heritage Week events and the provision on training by the Clare CWO for community groups.

Louth:

Recent Louth PPN staff change-over gives scope for LAWPRO to re-engage with Louth PPN and to strengthen our ties with them. Louth PPN has been co-operative and supportive of any LAWPRO requests to-date.

Monaghan:

Monaghan PPN staff changed over late 2021 and supported our efforts in the public consultation on the Draft 3^rd Cycle RBMP. Direct engagement has been limited since but led to believe that they are pushing out relevant updates to their contacts relating to LAWPRO’s work e.g., launch of CWDF 2023.

Excellent relationship with PPN in Carlow and Wexford, have participated  in consultations 2022-2027 RBMP, also provides platform for LAWPRO to message communities and advertise work LAWPRO does,

Would welcome more opportunities to work with PPN

Capacity of community groups to engage (quality v’s quantity of groups) - Consider Community Participation Spectrum Ranking

The number of groups engaged with WQ issues in the Boyne Catchment has increased in quality & quantity in the last 12months. A recent planning application for a WWTP by Dawn Meats has mobilized the community and heightened their awareness of WQ issues.

The proposed establishment of the Boyne Catchment Clean-Up Network will further supplement the quality & quantity of groups working in the catchment and will strengthen the CWO’s outreach in the area.

Small number of engaged community groups focusing on WQ with varying degrees of capacity. The proposed catchment fora should provide good opportunities for local cooperation, peer-to-peer learning and resource sharing. Through educational and facilitation projects Cuan Beo have been actively forging links with other groups and organisations within the catchment. Other groups have been increasing water literary and capacity such as the Abhainn Dá Loilíoch, Gort River Walk Group and Oranmore Tidy towns, each group named above participated in the GRD X LAWPRO Water Biodiversity Training.

A significant number of groups and individuals undertaking practical work to improve water quality and biodiversity in the pilot catchment with focus largely on the Upper and Lower Inagh River catchment to date.

Overall, a significant body of work is required to improve capacity of groups to engage sufficiently. ORCCA stand out as the group with the greatest capacity, with good technical capacity through leadership of Liam Woods but the group are not actively pursuing any form of engagement or outreach activities to expand the network. However, they have been supporting the Friends of Muckno in their effort to obtain LEADER funding for the Biodiversity Study of Lough Muckno and its environs and they are also planning a Spring Series of in-person mid-week presentation events to boost outreach.

Siolta Chroí (CWDF 2021 recipients) in Monaghan have potential and have showed great facilitation skills for public events/discussions plus capacity for training & engagement activities.

Apart from the above, there are a few groups which LAWPRO have engaged with (incl. Omeath TT, Dundalk TT, Dundalk Salmon Anglers Association & Dundalk & District Brown Trout and Salmon Anglers Association but capacity of these groups is possibly quite low or currently unknown)

Groups are engaging in Wexford, difficulty with the Slaney is that most of the river is in private ownership, where there is access to the river e.g., Tullow and Enniscorthy there is good engagement, I would welcome the opportunity of the community Forums strengthening the reach into community groups along the Slaney and exchanging information on WQ issues.

For the pilot Catchments

Boyne^[1]

Galway Bay SE

Mal Bay

Newry, Fan, Glyde and Dee

Slaney

On-the-ground relationship with IFI/OPW/IW/NPWS etc.

Good working relationship with

IFI – they have facilitated community engagement events with LAWPRO in Meath and have helped resolve issues raised by community groups as required.

Limited CWO engagement with the OPW; NPWS or IW in Meath but linkages can be established when required.

Galway:

Good working relationship with IFI & NPWS operational staff, who has been very helpful identifying key stakeholders, assisting with events and answering queries on projects and works. Due to lack of opportunities to collaborate there has been limited engagement with IW and OPW up to this point. However, both agencies have been responsive when dealing with specific requests.

Clare:

Excellent working relationship with:

IFI (local and regional)

OPW (local and regional)

NPWS (local and national)

IW – good working relationship but site specific / project specific

rs, assisting with events and answering

Clare:

Excellent working relationship with:

IFI (local and regional)

OPW (local and regional)

NPWS (local and national)

IW – good working relationship but site specific / project specific

Currently, CWO has only engaged with two senior IFI staff members from this catchment and has a relatively good relationship with both. Both have been responsive when dealing with specific queries or requests.

Limited CWO engagement with OPW; IW & NPWS to date in the area (although CWO led to believe NPWS Conservation Ranger in the area is currently out of office on long term basis).

Relevant agency is contacted if needed to resolve local issues, relationship in some areas with IFI is difficult. E.G Chlohamon

Good working relationships in Tullow

Rapport with LA(s) (willingness of LA staff to engage/assist with initiatives):

Meath Co.Co.:

Good working relationship with Meath Co.Co. (which accounts for >60% of the Boyne). Meath Co.Co.’s Executive Scientist has engaged proactively with LAWPRO, has attended LAWPRO public meetings and events, and has a good working relationship with the CWO.

Kildare Co.Co.:

Good working relationship with Environment Staff. CWO can leverage support as required.

Clare Co. Co:

Good working relationship with CCC staff esp. from the environment and planning sections and from the RD Unit. However, CCC staff have shown limited interest in the work of Cuan Beo but significant interest and funding support allocated to other environmental bodies based in the catchment.

Clare Co. Co:

Good working relationship with CCC staff esp. from the environment and planning sections and from the RD Unit

Louth Co. Co.:

Engagement with staff from water/environment is limited. Have a relatively good relationship with Heritage Officer and recently appointed Climate Action Officer.

Monaghan Co. Co.:

Relatively good rapport with staff in Monaghan Water/Environment staff & Heritage Officer. CWO can leverage support as required.

Carlow good working relationship with LAs and local reps

Wexford good relationship with LAs and local reps

For the pilot Catchments

Boyne^[1]

Galway Bay SE

Mal Bay

Newry, Fan, Glyde and Dee

Slaney

Municipal District(s) listed that are wholly or partially within pilot catchment

Meath:

-Kells MD

-Laytown- Bettystown MD

-Navan MD

-Ratoath MD (Partial)

-Trim MD

-Ashbourne MD (Partial)

Kildare:

-Clane-Maynooth MD (Partial)

Westmeath:

-Mullingar-Kinnegad MD (partial)

Cavan:

-Ballyjamesduff MD (Partial)

-Bailieborough-Cootehill MD

Athenry-Oranmore & Loughrea,

Also partially covers Galway City & Municipal District of West Clare

Municipal District of West Clare covering the:

Kilrush LEA

Ennistymon LEA

Louth:

- Dundalk MD

- Ardee MD

- Drogheda MD (Partial)

Monaghan:

- Carrickmacross

- Castleblayney MD

Meath:

- Kells MD (Partial)

Cavan:

- Bailieborough-Cootehill MD (Partial)