Ireland's State of the Environment Report 2024

458 Chapter 16: Environmental Policy Implementation and Performance POLICY AREA CURRENT ASSESSMENT OUTLOOK NOTES WATER Water River water quality Only half (50%) of Ireland’s rivers are in satisfactory ecological condition (EPA 2022). There has been no net improvement in river biological quality in recent years (EPA, 2023d). Moreover, 42% of river sites, mostly in the south and south-east of the country, have unsatisfactory nitrate concentrations, while over a quarter of river sites (27%) have unsatisfactory phosphorous concentrations. Lake water quality Some 69% of Ireland’s lakes are in satisfactory ecological condition (EPA, 2022). There has been a slight (2.7%) decrease in the proportion of lakes in satisfactory biological condition in recent years (EPA, 2023d), with over one-third (35%) of lakes having high phosphorous concentrations, particularly in the north- east of the country. Transitional water quality Only 36% of Ireland’s transitional waters (estuaries) are in satisfactory ecological condition. In recent years there has been a sharp decline (15.7%) in the number of monitored estuaries in satisfactory condition (EPA, 2022). The transitional waters in less than good ecological status are located primarily in the south and southeast of the country. Coastal water quality Most (81%) of Ireland’s coastal waters are in satisfactory ecological condition. However, in recent years there has been a significant decline (9.5%) in the number of monitored coastal water bodies in satisfactory ecological condition (EPA, 2022). Marine environment Five of the 11 Marine Strategy Framework Directive descriptors are compatible with good ecological status, indicating partial compliance. Three descriptors have partially achieved good ecological status but some information is still lacking, and one descriptor has insufficient information to assess its status. Challenges remain for achieving full compliance (DHPLG, 2024). Groundwater quality Some 468 (91%) of groundwater bodies are in good chemical and good quantitative status. In recent years there has been a very slight decline (0.8%; four water bodies) in the number of groundwater bodies assessed as having good status.