Two of Ireland’s leading environmental groups, the Sustainable Water Network (SWAN) and The Rivers Trust, have today called the Government’s sign off on the designation of a tenth (466) of our rivers, lakes and coastal waters as “Heavily Modified Water Bodies” [1], irresponsible and unacceptable. “Heavily Modified Water Bodies” is a technical term that, in … Read more
The Sustainable Water Network (SWAN), a network of 25 Irish environmental organisations, sees the EU Nitrates Committee decision today, to give Ireland another three-year extension of its Nitrates Derogation, as going against what the science is saying, the law is meant to protect, and what is in the best interest of the general public and … Read more
The Sustainable Water Network (SWAN), a network of 25 environmental organisations, has welcomed yesterday’s European Court of Justice ruling [1] that Ireland is in breach of its obligations under the EU Water Framework Directive (WFD), the centrepiece of EU water protection law. This is a strong and wide-ranging ruling, identifying serious non-compliances with a whole … Read more
The Sustainable Water Network (SWAN), a coalition of twenty-five of Ireland’s leading environmental organisations working on water, has responded to today’s EPA Water Quality report [1] with deep concern, calling on the Government to implement stronger, more urgent measures to restore Ireland’s waterways. The latest EPA report reveals that nearly half (48%) of Ireland’s surface … Read more
The Sustainable Water Network (SWAN), representing 25 of Ireland’s leading environmental NGOs, has warned that the recent EPA Urban Wastewater Treatment Report [1] demonstrates that pressing failures persist due to inadequate management and slow infrastructural delivery, posing serious risks to water quality, public health, and biodiversity. More urgent action is needed by Uisce Eireann and … Read more
The Sustainable Water Network (SWAN), a network of 25 environmental organisations, has called the new Water Action Plan, published by the Government today, a failed opportunity to introduce the strong measures needed to tackle water pollution and other damage to our rivers, lakes, and coastal habitats. Almost half our waters (46%) are currently unhealthy or … Read more
The Sustainable Water Network (SWAN) reacted to today’s EPA Water Indicator Report by calling on the Government to put in place far stronger measures to address Ireland’s water pollution crisis and tackle ongoing pollution from agriculture and forestry run-off, and discharges of raw and inadequately treated human sewage. The report highlights that nearly half of … Read more
Fair Seas research finds half of Irish waters are more resilient to effects of global warming A new report has been published by Fair Seas highlighting key Irish marine areas that can promote biodiversity in the face of the impact of worsening climate change. The coalition of leading environmental NGOs and networks has commissioned research … Read more
A group of 13 conservation bodies across all the Irish Sea nations, known collectively as the Irish Sea Network [1] , is urging planners in all six nations bordering the Irish Sea to collaborate and cooperate for the sake of nature. In a report out today [2], the Network calls for planners to work together … Read more
The Sustainable Water Network (SWAN) and the Environmental Pillar at a meeting with Commissioner Virginijus Sinkevičius today urged him to stick with the decision to reduce Ireland’s derogation limit to 220 kg nitrogen per hectare. “We impressed upon Commissioner Sinkevičius that we have reached a critical point in tackling water quality in Ireland,” said An … Read more