Catchment News

EPA Water Conference 2025 – videos now available

The EPA Water Conference took place on 11 and 12 June 2025 in Galway and online. Over 240 people attended in person, with more than 500 registered online. This year’s conference, focused on the theme “Water Framework Directive – Navigating the Policy Landscape.”

The event featured sessions on policy direction, water action projects, water quantity and resources, and water quality initiatives. It also addressed agriculture’s role in water protection and showcased collaborative efforts across public bodies. The conference highlighted the importance of integrated planning and enforcement, with discussions on legal developments, EU policy changes, and practical case studies from across Ireland.

All session recordings are now available to view below – catch up on the latest developments and discussions shaping Ireland’s water future.

EPA Water Conference 2025 Agenda

Session 1: WFD Tier 1 (Direction of travel) Navigating the Policy Waterscape
1. Welcome address	Dr Eimear Cotter Director of the Office of Evidence and Assessment, Environmental Protection Agency
2. Minister’s address	Christopher O’Sullivan Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage with special responsibility for Nature, heritage and Biodiversity
3. Implementing the Water Action Plan; Policy challenges and opportunities	Colin Byrne Principal Adviser, Water Division, Department of Housing, Local Government & Heritage (DHLGH)
4. Tracking action – a new approach for water	Margaret Keegan Regional Coordinator Midlands and East Region, Local Authorities Waters Programme (LAWPRO)
5. The National Climate Change Risk Assessment	Dr. Conor Quinlan Senior Manager, Climate Services, EPA
Session 2: Water Action Projects
6. Peatlands water quality benefits from the enhanced decommissioning, rehabilitation & restoration scheme (EDRRS)	Enda McDonagh Environmental Manager, Bord na Móna
7. Protecting water sources: reducing pesticide risks in the Erne-Larah catchment	Lorraine Gaston Integrated Catchment Manager, Uisce Éireann
8. Nature Restoration Regulation – what does it mean for water?	Dr. Rebecca Jeffrey Wildlife Inspector Grade I, Scientific Advice and Research Directorate, National Parks and Wildlife Service
Session 3: Water Quantity and Water Resources
9. Water Abstraction and Associated Impoundments Authorisation	Ann Marie Donlon Inspector I, Water Energy and Business Support, EPA
10. National Barrier Mitigation Research Programme	Dr. Ciara O’Leary Senior Research Officer, Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI)
Session 4: Water Quality Initiatives
11. The Water Forum – bringing science and stakeholder input to policy	Dr. Triona McGrath Research and Policy Lead, The Water Forum – An Fóram Uisce
12. Biodiversity Data Centre – Invasive Species Action Plan	John Kelly Invasive Species Programme Manager, National Biodiversity Data Centre
13. Investigating the likelihood of harmful algal bloom impacts in Ireland	Philip Taylor Environmental Data Scientist, UKCEH
Session 5: Agriculture
14. Agriculture policy response	Dr. Noeleen McDonald Agricultural Inspector, Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine
15. Better Farming For Water Campaign	Prof. Pat Dillon Director of Research, Teagasc
16. Behavioural insights – ASSAP water quality measure uptake	Prof. Mary Ryan Environmental economics research, Teagasc
17. Managing coastal waters: transitioning from top-down regulation to a balanced bottom-up/ top-down governance approach	Flemming Gertz Lead Scientific Advisor, SEGES Innovation

Talks from the EPA Water Conference 2025

Session 1: WFD Tier 1 (Direction of travel) Navigating the Policy Waterscape

1. Welcome address, Dr Eimear Cotter

2. Minister’s address, Christopher O’Sullivan

3. Implementing the Water Action Plan; Policy challenges and opportunities, Colin Byrne

The presentation reflects on the experiences of the past three river basin management cycles, including the evolution that has occurred, and the lessons learned. Then looking towards the fourth cycle, the policy challenges and opportunities that lie ahead are discussed.

4. Tracking action – a new approach for water, Margaret Keegan

The presentation outlines Ireland’s approach for implementing the Water Action Plan 2024 through Sectoral, Catchment, and Local Authority Work Plans, as well introducing the Catchment Community Fora. It emphasises integration and participation to address water quality challenges. Key elements include tracking progress, stakeholder engagement, and a phased rollout across catchments in 2026.

5. The National Climate Change Risk Assessment, Dr. Conor Quinlan

The National Climate Change Risk Assessment provides a comprehensive national overview of how Ireland is likely to be impacted by climate changes through the coming decades. The report identifies areas where action needs to be prioritised to make Ireland more resilient to the impacts of climate change.

Session 2: Water Action Projects

6. Peatlands water quality benefits from the enhanced decommissioning, rehabilitation & restoration scheme (EDRRS), Enda McDonagh

The EDRRS scheme is enabling the rehabilitation of up to 30,000 hectares of industrial peatland. This has many environmental co-benefits beyond just the rehabilitation of extraction activities, including water quality improvements, biodiversity, securing carbon, enabling amenities, regulation of surface water flows and water abstraction pressures and the preservation of archaeology.

7. Protecting water sources: reducing pesticide risks in the Erne-Larah catchment, Lorraine Gaston

The Erne-Larah Water Source Protection Project, led by Uisce Éireann in County Cavan, is a pilot initiative aimed at reducing the risk of pesticides entering source waters. It explores targeted land management practices to enhance water quality and inform scalable, catchment-based solutions for protecting source waters across Ireland.

8. Nature Restoration Regulation – what does it mean for water?, Dr. Rebecca Jeffrey

The Nature Restoration Regulation sets legally time bound targets for restoring degraded ecosystems across the EU. This includes targets based on existing legislation, including the Water Framework Directive, the Marine Strategy Framework Directive and the Habitats and Birds Directives, as well as for urban, agricultural and forest ecosystems.

Session 3: Water Quantity and Water Resources

9. Water Quantity and Water Resources Water Abstraction and Associated Impoundments Authorisation, Ann Marie Donlon

This presentation outlines Ireland’s new risk-based regulatory system for water abstractions and associated impoundments. It details the legislation, exemptions, registration and licensing processes, and the EPA’s role. This new regulatory system ensures sustainable water use, protects ecosystems, and applies proportionate controls based on abstraction volume and environmental impact.

10. National Barrier Mitigation Research Programme, Dr. Ciara O’Leary

This presentation gives an overview of the new IFI Barrier Mitigation Programme, highlighting the aims of the programme and the research monitoring programme incorporated into it. The impacts of barriers to our Free-Flowing Rivers and on functioning ecosystems will be addressed through evidence based long term monitoring.

Session 4: Water Quality Initiatives

11. The Water Forum – bringing science and stakeholder input to policy, Dr. Triona McGrath

This presentation gives an overview of how the Water Forum is fulfilling its role in providing stakeholder input to water policy in Ireland, supported by commissioned research. The Forum provides a platform to bring science to policy, while drawing on stakeholder perspectives and expertise.

12. Biodiversity Data Centre – Invasive Species Action Plan, John Kelly

This presentation introduces us to the Shared Island Biosecurity and Invasive Species Initiative and the Invasive Species Work Plan at the National Biodiversity Data Centre. This work is funded by the Northern Ireland Environment Agency; National Parks and Wildlife Service; and the Government of Ireland’s Shared Island Initiative.

13. Investigating the likelihood of harmful algal bloom impacts in Ireland, Philip Taylor

This project investigated the risk posed to Irish lakes of harmful algal blooms (HABs) on a similar scale to the 2023 event at Lough Neagh, where catchment nutrients, zebra mussels and climate change were the main identified drivers. Both the likelihood, and potential impact, of serious HAB events were examined.

Session 5: Agriculture

14. Agriculture policy response, Dr. Noeleen McDonald

In recent years agricultural policy has responded significantly to the need for the sector to reduce its impact on water quality. This talk will provide an overview of this response across the range of measures that are being driven by an all-industry collaborative approach spanning regulation, awareness raising and incentivisation.

15. Better Farming For Water Campaign, Prof. Pat Dillon

The ‘Better Farming for Water-8 Actions for Change Campaign’ is to support all farmers in the adoption of sustainable farming practices that minimise the impact of agriculture on water quality. This campaign will build on existing water quality programmes such as ASSAP, Farming for Water EIP, Waters of LIFE and the Agriculture Catchment Programme.

16. Behavioural insights – ASSAP water quality measure uptake, Prof. Mary Ryan

Three of the main focus areas of the EPA funded WaterMARKE project looked at: farmer-level behavioural drivers of uptake of ASSAP water quality protection measures, advisers’ perspectives of the barriers and enablers of uptake of measures by farmers and sectoral collaborations across the water quality protection Innovation System. 

17. Managing coastal waters: transitioning from top-down regulation to a balanced bottom-up/ top-down governance approach, Flemming Gertz

In 2024, the Danish parliament adopted a substantial green package worth €5.7 billion to enhance the Danish water environment. This initiative includes restoring wetlands, rewetting organic soils, and other measures. The package emphasises local participation through the establishment of local implementation committees and coastal water councils.

Learn more

Visit the EPA YouTube Channel here

Check out the 2024 EPA Water Conference here

Check out the 2023 EPA Water Conference here