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Member Roles & Responsibilities
In the event of a flood, the local authorities and emergency services will provide the principal response at a local level.
The Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government is designated Lead Government Department for co-ordinating the response to severe weather and flooding crises. The Department has undertaken this role in relation to severe weather and flooding crises since 2009. During these crises, the National Directorate for Fire and Emergency Management has convened and chaired the “National Emergency Co-ordination Group” on behalf of the Department.
During periods of severe weather, it is important to obtain the latest information, by listening to the weather information and weather warnings and advice from Met Éireann.
The Office of Public Works (OPW) is leading a proactive and whole of Government approach to managing flood risk that takes the potential impacts of climate change into account, across three strategic areas:
◾ Prevention – avoiding construction in flood-prone areas
◾ Protection – taking feasible measures to protect areas against flooding
◾ Preparedness – planning and responding to reduce the impacts of flood events
In 2018, the OPW completed the largest study of flood risk ever undertaken by the State, CFRAM (catchment flood risk assessment management), to establish those communities that are at risk from significant flood events. This provided the roadmap for the delivery of Government Investment in flood relief schemes. The OPW is also the national authority for the implementation of the EU Floods Directive.
On a day to day basis, water levels on the Shannon River are managed in accordance with agreed protocols between Waterways Ireland and the ESB. There is daily communication and a co-ordinated approach between those two bodies in this regard. Water levels on the Shannon are monitored on a daily basis, along with weather forecasts. This informs decisions around sluice opening and closing procedures and the operation of weirs, within the agreed protocols. In circumstances where there is heavy summer rainfall and increased river levels, flood risks are mitigated to the greatest extent possible, through these actions.
Role of the ESB:
The ESB continuously monitors the water levels throughout the Shannon and continues to operate in accordance with its regulations and guidelines for control of the River Shannon.
The ESB…
- Engages with the local authorities and Waterways Ireland on a daily basis when Lough Derg, Lough Ree or Lough Allen is in flood;
- Publishes its twice weekly predicted water levels and expected discharge amounts based on the latest Met Éireann forecast;
- Publishes the water levels throughout the three lakes and Ardnacrusha discharges on a daily basis. This information can be found on ESB’s website
- Communicates discharges at Parteen Weir to local stakeholders by text message on a daily basis when Lough Derg is in flood.
The ESB uses the water flowing in the river to generate electricity when it reaches Ardnacrusha. Levels in Lough Allen and Lough Ree are managed to assist with navigation, to ensure minimum navigation levels in the river during dry periods and to ensure that floods are passed safely.
The level of Lough Derg is managed by the ESB for the purpose of electricity generation, through operation at Ardnacrusha and gates at Parteen Weir. The water level on Lough Allen is managed by ESB through the operation of the sluices at the outlet of the lake at Bellantra. ESB does not store water in Lough Allen for the purposes of electricity generation at Ardnacrusha. The water level on Lough Ree is managed by the ESB in dry periods through the operation of sluices at Athlone, although in times of flood, most water flows uncontrolled over the 170m weir alongside those sluices. ESB does not store water in Lough Ree for the purposes of electricity generation at Ardnacrusha. The operation of Ardnacrusha and the gates at Parteen Weir does not affect the water levels on the River Shannon above Meelick Weir. The operation of Ardnacrusha generating station alleviates flooding in the lower Shannon by diverting flood waters away from the “old” river.
Role of Waterways Ireland:
Waterways Ireland is the navigation authority responsible for the management, maintenance, and development of specific navigable waterways, principally for recreation purposes and manages the sluices and weirs at Jamestown, Roosky, Tarmonbarry and Meelick.
The ESB and Waterways Ireland communicate frequently and coordinate management of the eight sets of sluice gates which impactwater levels on the lake and river sections of the Shannon. This work is carried out seven days a week. ESB manage the lake sections and Waterways Ireland the river sections. Waterways Ireland proactively monitors weather forecasts and uses water level reading instrumentation to make informed decisions around sluice opening and closing procedures, whilst adhering to protocols agreed with the ESB.
These operations influence the levels on the Shannon but due to the shallow gradient of the river and the many natural restrictions along its course, the levels cannot be fully controlled especially when the Shannon is in flood. The river level is primarily the result of the amount of rain that falls on the river catchment area. When all gates are open, there is no further action available to prevent further rising water levels.
The Arterial Drainage Act, 1945, was amended in 1995 to provide powers to the OPW to implement major flood relief schemes to protect cities, towns and villages at risk of flooding.
The OPW also works in partnership with local authorities that are leading on the implementation of major urban flood relief schemes that are being delivered under the planning legislation.
Local flooding issues are a matter for local authorities who may carry out flood mitigation works using their own resources. The OPW provides funding to local authorities under the Minor Flood Mitigation Works and Coastal Protection Scheme to undertake minor flood mitigation works or studies, costing up to €750,000 each, to address localised flooding and coastal protection problems within their administrative areas.
Inland Fisheries carry out physical works to improve conservation and enhance biodiversity.
The ESB carry out physical works in respect of the maintenance of dam safety in Lough Derg and Parteen Basin.
Uisce Éireann carry out capital maintenance to reduce sewer flooding and to protect roads and properties.
Inland Fisheries Ireland is the state agency responsible for the protection, management and conservation of Ireland’s inland fisheries and sea angling resources. Inland Fisheries Ireland has been assigned responsibility by the EPA for delivering the fish monitoring element of the Water Framework Directive in Ireland.
Arising from the Shannon Fisheries Acts 1935 and 1938, ESB has the statutory responsibility of managing, conducting and preserving the fisheries throughout the Shannon catchment. Details of ESB’s activities can be found at ESB Fishery Information.
Waterways Ireland is a navigation authority established under statute. It is responsible for the management, maintenance and development of those waterways principally for recreation purposes.
Waterways Ireland must consult extensively with National Parks and Wildlife Service, Inland Fisheries Ireland and the Environmental Protection Agency before any maintenance of channels is carried out.
The ESB has a statutory role to generate electricity at Ardnacrusha. The relevant legislation is the Shannon Electricity Act 1925, the Electricity Supply Act 1927 and the Electricity Supply (Amendment) Act 1934. In broad terms, this legislation permits the ESB to generate electricity at Ardnacrusha and to manage the weirs, sluices and other works that are part of the Shannon Scheme.
Bord Na Móna carries out peatlands rehabilitation in the Shannon catchment under the peatlands climate action scheme. The primary aim of the Scheme is to optimise climate action benefits of rewetting the former industrial peat production areas by creating soggy peatland conditions that will allow compatible peatland habitats to redevelop.
Bord na Móna ceased all peat extraction in 2019 and since then has been decommissioning and rehabilitating its cutaway peatlands. Rehabilitation has several environmental benefits, including returning the bogs natural water retention capacity, which will slow the flow to the receiving waters.
Local Authorities are responsible for local emergency management including flooding. At local level, in all affected areas, Local Authority Flood Assessment Teams are activated and operate on a daily basis from the beginning to the end of the flood event. Each local authority develops its own Flood Emergency Plan.
The National Emergency Management Framework sets out the State’s response to a flooding event, to mitigate the potential negative impacts of major flood events.
Emergencies of all kinds are responded to in the first instance by the Principal Response Agencies (An Garda Síochána, the Health Service Executive and the Local Authorities) in the area where they occur.
The Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government is designated by Government Decision as the “Lead Government Department” for co-ordinating the response to ten emergency/crisis scenarios including severe weather and flooding.
The Water Framework Directive was adopted by Member States across Europe in 2000. It requires that all waters (rivers, lakes, groundwater, estuaries, coastal water, canals and reservoirs) are protected and that measures are put in place to ensure quality of these waters is restored to at least ‘good’ status or good potential by 2027 at the latest. The Directive governs all activities that may have an impact on this objective or on the quality or quantity of water.
The Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage leads on the development and implementation of the national River Basin Management Plan (RBMP) . The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) leads on technical expertise and science. Local authorities are responsible for the implementation of the RBMP at a local level.
The River Basin Management Plan set out the measures necessary to protect and improve the quality of our waters. The plan is prepared in 6-year cycles, during which a programme of measures must be implemented so as to achieve water quality objectives.
The Directive is linked to, and reinforces, other EU environmental directives including directives relating to the protection of biodiversity (Birds and Habitats Directives), directives related to specific uses of waters (drinking water, bathing waters and urban
waste water directives) and to directives concerned with the regulation of activities undertaken in the environment (Industrial Emissions and Environmental Impact Assessment directives). The Nitrates Directive also forms an integral part of the Directive and is one of the key instruments in the protection of waters against agricultural pressures.
The EPA is responsible for coordinating the monitoring, assessment and reporting on the status of water bodies nationally. The EPA itself is involved in water quality monitoring, assessing trends and changes, determining which waterbodies are at risk of not meeting their objectives and identifying what could be causing this. Water quality monitoring and assessment information can be found on www.epa.ie and www.catchments.ie. The Local Authorities, Inland Fisheries Ireland, Waterways Ireland and the Marine Institute undertake various elements of the National Water Quality Monitoring 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.
The National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) is fully integrated in the Heritage Division of the Department and has responsibility for the protection and conservation of Ireland’s natural heritage and biodiversity at national government level. The responsibilities of the NPWS include the protection of habitats and species through the designation of sites as Special Areas of Conservation (SAC), Special Protection Areas (SPA) and Natural Heritage Areas (NHA). Promotion of activities considered beneficial to their conservation and restoration.
NPWS administers a licensing system to regulate and control activities that impact on habitats or species in Ireland. NPWS also has responsibility for the implementation of Ireland’s National Biodiversity Plan and the implementation of Nature Conservation Legislation and the ratification and implementation of international conventions and agreements relating to the natural heritage.
