Response to the OPW consultation on the Draft Arterial Drainage Maintenance activities

The Irish Policy group coordinated this consultation response:

Summary of main comments from our submission:
1. CIEEM calls for a general review of the Arterial Drainage Act and its implementation in Ireland.
2. Construction Environmental Management Plans (CEMP) are needed for all sites where a NIS is required.
3. There is a strong need for the presence of an ECoW on all sites subject to an NIS.
4. CIEEM calls for greater transparency in this document. In particular, data on the auditing process, on past project level AAs and on the OPW data set, should be included in more detail.
5. The importance of considering how biodiversity can be harnessed to reduce the effects of flooding through use of Nature Based Solutions should be front and centre of the OPWs flood works.
 6. Strengthening of the title and terminology in section 4.5 Mitigation and recommendations, is required.

Full submission can be read in attached document.