The Water Policy Advisory Committee (WPAC), established pursuant to S.I. 350 of 2014, provides policy advice and assistance to the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government on the implementation of the Water Framework Directive (WFD) and on broader water resource issues.

WPAC is also responsible for providing advice on and support for the making of River Basin Management Plans, including the programmes of measures as part of those Plans.

WPAC also invites other organisations to present to it on topics of relevance, and it has decided to publish regular bulletins to provide an overview of issues under consideration.

However, as much of the Committee’s discussions are confidential as part of the wider deliberative process, these bulletins are general in nature.

WPAC Membership
Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government (Chair) (D/HPLG)
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Office of Public Works (OPW)
Geological Survey of Ireland (GSI)
Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU)
Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (D/AFM)
Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht (D/CHG)
Department of Health (D/H)
County and City Management Association (CCMA)
Health Service Executive (HSE)
Irish Water (IW)
Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI)

Note: nothing substantive that’s not available / mentioned via multiple other sources, aside from:

D/HPLG provided information on the new oversight group for the ASSAP.

Abstractions Bill – pre-legislative scrutiny stage on the 20th October 2020

Shannon catchment – fish passage Ardnacrusha / Parteen – Roadmap for the implementation of potential solutions was close to completion, and with the Steering Group by end of 2020

Programme of Measures Gap Analysis mentioned. Unclear if these gap analysis reports have been published by EPA. References main issues of Nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus) and hydromorphology (drainage, sediment and barriers) so worth following up.