The Local Authority Waters Programme (LAWPRO) is inviting members of the public, and in particular community groups and individuals, with an interest in water quality, to a community information meeting on Wednesday evening, 17th September 2025 at 7.30pm, in the Falls Hotel, Ennistymon.
The Mal Bay Catchment, which covers large parts of North and West Clare, is one of only 5 pilots in Ireland. The meeting will provide an update on work to progress, and develop, the establishment of a pilot Catchment Community Forum for Mal Bay. It is expected that this pilot will continue to run for the next number of years. The North Clare meeting will also discuss water quality, and project funding for water quality related projects, in the Mal Bay Catchment.
The meeting follows an extremely successful, full day, workshop attended by many community groups, and representatives from across County Clare, last year. This workshop helped co-design the Catchment Community Forum model for the Mal Bay Catchment. The upcoming meeting on the 17th September, will update members of the public, and all interested parties, on the work which has taken place to review ways to actively include communities in the river basin management process.
This is part of a wider national initiative to support greater community and public participation in Ireland’s Water Action Plan (River Basin Management Plan for Ireland) which runs from 2024 to 2027. This Water Action Plan is Ireland’s roadmap for restoring and protecting water quality across Ireland’s 46 river catchments.
One of the key elements within the River Basin Management Plan, is to put in place a Catchment Community Forum that meet the needs of local communities and their involvement in water quality matters. The Mal Bay catchment was selected on account of its regional significance in the South West, the nature of the water quality pressures, and the fact that local community groups are active on the ground.
The new Catchment Community Forum (CCF) is intended to be a consultative forum around Water Quality in the Mal Bay area. It will act as a conduit to regional, and national decision making, around how we manage our natural waters in North and West Clare. The CCF will also allow for local deliberation on water quality data, support local community action, and provide an opportunity to influence local plans, and projects, linked to our local environment (e.g. Local Catchment Management Plans).
The meeting on the 17th September, in the Falls Hotel, Ennistymon, will outline what the Mal Bay Catchment Community Forum might look like, avenues for participation, and will outline the nomination process for participating in the Forum.
This meeting is taking place as one of five pilot areas across the Republic of Ireland, proposed under the Water Action Plan, to explore avenues on how to include community perspectives, into catchment management work plans. Public participation in water management is a key element of protecting and restoring water quality across the country.