The Local Authority Waters Programme (LAWPRO) launched the new Slaney Catchment Community Forum with an inaugural meeting on Tuesday, 11th November 2025, at the Riverside Park Hotel, Enniscorthy. The event marked a significant milestone in facilitating community-led participation in the protection and restoration of water quality in the Slaney catchment.
The Slaney Catchment Community Forum is one of five pilot river catchment projects across Ireland, established under the new River Basin Management Plan to support public involvement. The meeting was a fruitful follow-on from previous scoping meetings to figure out the most suitable format for how people from Counties Wexford, Carlow and Wicklow might participate in delivering better water quality for all.
The Slaney Catchment Community Forum is now formalised, with representatives from the Wexford Regional Game Council, Wexford IFA, Talamh Beo, Hollyfort Development Group, Ferns Community Development Association, Edermine Ferry Rowing Club, Coastwatch, Enniscorthy Tidy Towns, Myshall Nature, Slaney Rivers Trust, Teagasc Slaney Better Farming for Water Catchment Coordinator, Rathvilly Tidy Towns, Boro Dairy Discussion Group, officially becoming forum members. These members include representatives from local community groups, agriculture, angling and recreational interests. Tillage, dairy and organic farmers have also joined providing valuable insights from the farming perspective. The meeting achieved an excellent sectoral balance and geographic spread, which should ensure voices from across the Slaney catchment are meaningfully represented.
The forum elected its leadership team during the meeting and discussed areas of key focus for 2026. This includes bringing important water quality issues to the attention of state agencies, better understanding, support and advice for the farming community and training for the forum members in accessing water quality information, including how to use the EPA’s water quality portal known as catchments.ie. The forum members expressed that they would like to forum to be proactive rather than just discussing issues. Recommendations were made to organise citizen science monitoring, direct catchment action such as litter cleanups and open field information days, including trips to some of the farming representatives to share knowledge on practical measures. Members were also keen to understand “how will the Slaney Catchment Forum interact with the governance structures established under the River Basin Management Plan”.
Dr. Fran Igoe, Regional Coordinator for LAWPRO in the South East region explained: “The purpose of the Pilot Catchment Community Fora is to work out some of these issues to improve public participation in the management of the River Slaney.” He emphasised that the establishment of the forum is a key action within Ireland’s Water Action Plan or River Basin Management Plan which demonstrates commitment to the process. “This is an exciting opportunity for public participation and LAWPRO will work closely with the forum and local communities right across the Slaney River catchment to support better water quality for all”.
Maggie Morrissey, Senior Community Water Officer with LAWPRO in the South East Region, also added: “The positive energy from everyone in the room and the excellent community representation hopefully gets us off to a good start and LAWPRO will work hard to support the forum within our capacity.”
The forum elected Jer O’ Mahony, former IFA county chair, as its chair and Conor McDonald as deputy chair. LAWPRO will provide the secretariate as agreed in the initial scoping meetings. Jer O’ Mahony stated: “The establishment of the Slaney Catchment Community Forum gives a fantastic opportunity to everyone involved in the protection and enhancement of the Slaney and its tributaries to have a voice and help make a positive contribution in making a real difference. We will engage through LAWPRO with state bodies to achieve the ultimate goal of excellent water quality for all to enjoy. I would like to thank LAWPRO for facilitating this tremendous opportunity and we will reach out to ALL organisations up to the source of the Slaney, including all those in Wicklow and Carlow to join us and make a collective effort, working for the good of all.”
This leadership will play a key role in guiding the forum’s work through 2026, shaping collaborative actions and strengthening partnerships across the catchment.
The Slaney Catchment Community Forum is part of the Catchment Community Fora initiative, coordinated by LAWPRO. This national pilot programme works with communities to protect and improve water quality, supporting local engagement and collaboration across Ireland’s river catchments. By bringing together diverse stakeholders, the forum aims to share knowledge, identify challenges, and develop practical solutions that benefit both people and nature.
The forum will meet quarterly throughout 2026, with its next meeting set to take place early in the new year.
For more information about the Slaney Catchment Community Forum and LAWPRO’s work, contact David Rafter, LAWPRO Community Water Officer covering Carlow and Wexford, at drafter@lawaters.ie.
