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Home News IAH Irish Group Groundwater Annual Conference, April 18 and 19, 2023: ‘Groundwater and Planning’

IAH Irish Group Groundwater Annual Conference, April 18 and 19, 2023: ‘Groundwater and Planning’

The 43rd annual Irish groundwater conference on Groundwater & Planning will be held in the Tullamore Court Hotel on April 18 and 19 2023. This conference is organised by the International Association of Hydrogeologists (IAH) Irish Group.

The overarching theme of this year’s conference is Groundwater and Planning. There will be a range of talks offering insights, reflections, guidance and experience on this important topic. Some speakers will offer practical perspectives and experiences on issues related to groundwater and planning – covering case and site studies, as well as insights into complexities of groundwater behaviour in particular environments; others will offer insights from a legal and regulatory perspective that will be invaluable to practitioners; and we will be looking at the topic from an all island perspective.

The early career hydrogeologists will present posters and keynote speakers will cover larger groundwater issues and topics. This will be the first in person meeting of this group since 2019.

Learn more:

Tickets are available now on Eventbrite: 43rd Annual IAH (Irish Group) Conference Tickets, Tue 18 Apr 2023 at 08:30 | Eventbrite

Programme Day 1: Tuesday 18 April

08:30 – 09:30 Conference Registration: tea, coffee & exhibits

INTRODUCTION

09:30 – 09:45 Welcome: Gerry Baker (President IAH Irish Group)

SESSION I

09:45 – 10:15 Donal Grant (Department of Housing, Local Government & Heritage) Water Abstraction Act 2023

10:15 – 10:45 KEYNOTE: Dr Karen Villholth (Water Cycle Innovation) Transboundary aquifers – What do we know and how can these water resources bring cooperation rather than conflict?

10:45 – 11:00 Q&A

11:00 – 11:30 Tea & Coffee

SESSION II The Planning Process

11:30 – 11:50 Dr Rónán Kennedy (University of Galway) Planning & Environmental Law

11:50 – 12:10 Brendan Slattery (McCann FitzGerald Solicitors) The protection of water resources in the planning process: recent legal cases

12:10 – 12:30 Brian Deegan (Uisce Eireann) Lough Talt IROPI Case

12:30 – 12:45 Q&A

13:00 – 14:00 Buffet lunch in Tullamore Court Hotel

SESSION III The Role of Expertise & Experience

14:00 – 14:20 Paul Johnston (TCD) Wetlands and the law: a hydrogeological perspective

14:20 – 14:40 Teri Hayes (AWN) The role of Expert Witness and Oral Hearings

14:40 – 15:00 Paul Wilson (GSNI) Northern Ireland’s Groundwater Environment

15:00 – 15:20 Early Career Award Winner: Rebecca Ní Chonchubair

15:20 – 15:35 Q&A

15:35 – 16:00 Tea & Coffee

SESSION IV Groundwater Challenges

16:00 – 16:20 Joan Campanya (SETU) Assessing the impact of climate change on groundwater flooding

16:20 – 16:40 Eileen McCarthy (UCC) Peat Stability on Upland Sites: The role of hydrogeology

16:40 – 17:00 Andy Trafford (UCD) Use of geophysics for ground investigation at peatland sites

17:00 – 17:20 Olwyn James (Uisce Eireann) Uisce Eireann Planning Applications

17:20 – 17:35 Q&A

17:35 Posters & Wine Reception

19:00 Social event sponsored by IAH – Irish Group

Programme Day 2: Wednesday 19th April

08:30 – 09:30 Conference Registration: tea, coffee & exhibits

SESSION V Developments in Planning

09:30 – 09:50 Katie Tedd (GSI) Groundwater 3D 2023 Updates

09:50 – 10:10 J.P. Moore (IE Consulting) Groundwater Flow Direction: EIAR & hydrogeological assessments

10:10 – 10:30 Conor Lydon (Tetra Tech) Geothermal Planning Submissions

10:30 – 10:50 Padraig Doyle (DCC) Basement Impact Assessment

10:50 – 11:05 Q&A

11:05 – 11:30 Tea & Coffee

SESSION VI Communication

11:30 – 11:50 Early Career Short Presentations: Corine Oggel, Ciaran Higgins, Robert Watson, Sodiq Oguntade

11:50 – 12:10 Prof Pat Brereton (DCU) Communicating Water Literacy through Active Engagement

12:10 – 12:30 Maeve Boland (iCRAG) Linking Science with Policy

12:30 – 12:45 Q&A

12:45 Conference Closing Address: Tiernan Henry (Conference Secretary – IAH Group)

13:00 Buffet lunch in Tullamore Court Hotel

14:00 Exhibitor demonstrations

About author

EPA Catchments Unit

Administrator

The EPA Catchments Unit is based in Dublin, and the team is involved with catchment science, chemistry, ecology, hydromorphology, modelling, Geographic Information Systems and planning. We work with the wider EPA, all of our local authorities, the Local Authority Waters and Communities Office, the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government, and other public bodies and Departments to ensure we have the best available data and information about our catchments.

Who is involved?
Quite simply, everyone in Ireland has a role to play. This can be from something as simple as making sure you don’t pollute your local stream, or a local community working together to establish a Rivers Trust to enhance the rivers and lakes in their area, to a Government Department or Agency helping a Minister implement a new policy to help protect and enhance all our water bodies.

This website has been developed and is maintained by the Environmental Protection Agency, and is a collaboration between the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Local Authority Waters Programme.

Local Authority Waters 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.

Environmental Protection Agency

The EPA is responsible for coordinating the monitoring, assessment and reporting on the status of our 4,842 water bodies, looking at trends and changes, determining which waterbodies are at risk and what could be causing this, and drafting environmental objectives for each.

Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage

The Department is responsible for making sure that the right policies, regulations and resources are in place to implement the Water Framework Directive, and developing a River Basin Management Plan and Programme of Measures to protect and restore our waters.