Local Authority News Vol. 36 No. 5

FRONT COVER LAN 36 No 5 06/12/2017 22:36 Page 1

LAN LOCAL AUTHORITY NEWS

• M17 M18 Gort Tuam Motorway Opens Ahead of Schedule • Burning Solid Fuel is the Biggest Threat to Good Air Quality in Ireland • Keeping Communities Safe in Storms

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KOFI for Everything, From Driveways to Highways, we have got you covered!

Kellys of Fantane International were successful in completing the CBM & CL808 surfacing layers on the M17/M18 Gort to Tuam PPP for the John Sisk & Roadbridge sections of the project.

KOF International were responsible for the Batching and Paving of Cement Bound Granular Material (CBM) up to 1.2km per day, using a full width 12 metre paver & Sealing with Bituminous Tack Coat & up to1.8 km of CL808 per day.

Investment in the Best Road Construction Plant and Equipment ensures an excellent all-round service. We own and operate various width Paver, from a full-width 12metre paver that lays the full carriageway in one go – the only one of its kind in Ireland, to a one metre mini paver.

During the12 months involvement in this project our mobile batcher was mobilised in 4 different locations on site & batched in excess of 360,000 Tonne covering 30KM of Motorway, 4 KM of Dual Carriage Way & 9KM on the Rathmorrissey Interchange Incorporating Irelands Largest Roundabout Kellys of Fantane International quarry own & operate one of the largest mobile crushing plants in Europe, capable of producing in excess of 500 tonnes of processed aggregates per hour. KOFI also have a mobile Asphalt plant capable of producing 320 tonne per hour with 800 Tonne hot storage bins.

Along with our Specific Road Construction Plant we have our Specialist Road Construction Team, who have many yearʼs experience, working on Road Construction projects. We have recently upgraded our surveying equipment to include the Trimble SX10 scanning Total Station & Business Centre.

Our Traffic Management Design Team use the latest Cone software design programme generating traffic management plans complying with Chapter 8.

Kellys of Fantane International Fantane, Borrisoleigh, Thurles, Co Tipperary Phone: 050 4 52118 Email: admin@kofintl.com • Website:www.kofintl.com

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CONTENTS Vol 36. No 5.

FEATURES M17 M18 GORT TUAM MOTORWAY OPENS 3 AHEAD OF SCHEDULE ELECTRO, INSTALLING TECHNOLOGY TO 15 KEEP THE M18 TICKING Published by:

ELVES – THE COMPLIANCE SCHEME FOR 17 END-OF-LIFE VEHICLES GILTRON LTD RIVERVIEW LODGE, DUBLIN ROAD, NAVAN, CO. MEATH.

IRISH WHEELCHAIR ASSOCIATION (IWA) OPENS SEVEN HOUSES FOR PEOPLE WITH PHYSICAL DISABILITIES IN BELMULLET 23

Tel: 00353 46 9072841 Email: info@localauthoritynews.ie Website: www.localauthoritynews.ie

MMA CELEBRATING 50 YEARS IN BUSINESS 24

Designed & produced by Donnelly Design & Print Ltd. Tel: 046 - 9091891

ISSN NO. 1393-0394

BURNING SOLID FUEL IS THE BIGGEST THREAT TO GOOD AIR QUALITY IN IRELAND 27

LAN is available FREE OF CHARGE to all Local and Central Government Bodies throughout Ireland.

Published bi-monthly it is disseminated to Local Authority Managers, Assistant Managers, County Secretaries, Finance Officers, Principal Officers, Department Heads, County Engineers, City Engineers, Chief Quantity Surveyors, Senior Architects, Plant Superintendents, Senior Executive Engineers, Town Clerks, Purchasing Officers, Administrative Officers, Inspectors, Park Superintendents, County Librarians, etc. in all Government Departments, County Councils, Corporations, Office of Public Works, Urban District Councils, StateSponsored and Development Bodies and Agencies.

ESRI KEEPING COMMUNITIES SAFE IN STORMS

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DEVELOPING THE NEXT RIVER BASIN MANAGEMENT PLAN; A COLLABORATIVE 30 APPROACH IRISH WATER AND MINISTER SIMON COVENEY TURN THE SOD ON €16.3M UPGRADE OF WASTEWATER TREATMENT 32 IN ENNISCORTHY

REGULARS IRISH WATER UPDATES

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DEPARTMENT BREIFS

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PRODUCT INFO

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CLASSIFIEDS

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M17 M18 Gort Tuam Motorway Opens Ahead of Schedule

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relandʼs newest motorway the M17 M18 from Gort to Tuam was formally opened to traffic by Minister for Transport Shane Ross on 27th September 2017, two months ahead of schedule. The motorway scheme runs from the end of the M18 at Gort for a distance of 57 kilometre northwards providing safe efficient driving conditions between Gort and Tuam. Motorists travelling the route will avoid well known bottlenecks such as Clarinbridge, Claregalway and Tuam. The new motorway will provide safe driving conditions and reduce journey times between Tuam and Gort by at least 20 minutes.

Enjoying Minister for Transport Shane Rossʼs speech at the M17 M18 road opening ceremony held recently were : Hildergarde Naughton TD, Ciran Cannon TD, Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs, Kevin Kelly CEO Galway County Council, Sean Canney TD, Michael Ring Minister for Community and Rural Development, Eileen Mannion Cathaoirleach of the County of Galway, Michael Nolan CEO Transport Infrastructure Ireland, Shane Ross TD, Minister For Transport.

The scheme has been developed as a PPP (Public Private Partnership) scheme between Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) and DirectRoute Tuam Ltd the PPP Company. The scheme has been welcomed by all, including some of the landowners affected by the scheme who were present at the opening ceremony when Minister Ross cut the ribbon and described the occasion as “a great day for the West of Ireland”. The success of the scheme can be explained in part to a decade of extensive preparatory work carried out in partnership by TII (Peter Walsh and John Pictured at the official opening of the M17 M18 motorway (L to R) Cllr McGuinness) and Galway County Martina Kinnane, Hildegarde Naughton TD, Tony Collins, M17 M18 Liaison Council under the direction of Jack Officer, Shane Ross Minister for Transport, Michael Ring Minister for Rural and Community Development, and Noel Grealish, TD. Eising, Liam Gavin and Michael Timmins.

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Background to the PPP scheme In Galway National Roads Office, work had been progressing on a number of separate road schemes including the N17 Tuam Bypass, the N17 between Galway and Tuam and the N18 from Oranmore to Gort. All three schemes were brought through route selection, preliminary design, EIS and CPO stage by Galway County Council with Oral hearings being held and Compulsory Purchase Orders confirmed for all three schemes by 2009.

Aerial view of the N17 Tuam Bypass Junction with the R332 Ballygaddy Road

It was decided that the best chance of securing funding for these schemes would be to combine the three schemes into one large scheme which would be of a suitable size to fit the public private partnership model.

And thus the N17 N18 Gort Tuam PPP scheme was born. The contract was signed in April 2014 and the three year construction program has been successfully completed ahead of schedule, with good teamwork evident throughout. Speaking at the opening ceremony, Declan Carney CEO of PPP Company DirectRoute Tuam stated that “this project is a great example of the public and private elements of the project working very well together” – a view that was shared by all present. Jacobs Engineering who represented TII on site, headed up by David Feighery and Stuart Nichol, maintained an excellent working relationship with the three delivery partners on the scheme, namely Roadbridge (Project Manager Paraic McCarthy), John Sisk & Son (Project Manager Noel Curtis) and Lagan Construction Group (Project Manager Seamus Sorohan). The scale of the scheme was enormous and unprecedented for a west of Ireland road scheme, with over 900 workers on site at the peak of the construction period. The PPP Company has noted that there has been in excess of 3.6 million man hours worked on site since construction started. The scheme enjoyed an excellent health and safety record over the construction period, thanks to several safety initiatives introduced by John Crowley of DirectRoute Construction which promoted a safety first culture on site very successfully.

Advance contracts clear the way for PPP scheme Speaking at the opening ceremony CEO of Galway County Council Kevin Kelly thanked TII for their assistance and described some of the advance contracts undertaken by GCC: The entire 57 km length of the scheme had been subject to archaeological testing. Where sites of interest had been discovered, all of these sites were fully excavated and resolved under licence from the National Museum of Ireland. The results of this work has been written up and made available to the public in a number of very worthwhile publications under the guidance of our two local archaeologists Martin Jones and Jerry OʼSullivan.

A series of advance ground investigation contracts were arranged to provide as complete a picture as possible of the underground ground profile. This was of absolute vital importance in an area where karst limestone is very common and cavities in the limestone – in some cases carrying underground rivers - have to be mapped

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accurately. A variety of ground investigation techniques such as trial holes, rotary core drilling and geophysics were used to map the underground geology. This fed into the route selection process and ensured that the route was situated on competent ground in all locations.

There were numerous sites of ecological interest close to the scheme. All of these sites required careful impact assessment and consultation with National Parks and Wildlife Service in order to agree appropriate mitigation measures. All of the ecological mitigation measures such as providing bat roosts or relocating protected plants away from the road were agreed and signed off before the road construction contract was awarded.

Roadbridge excavating large rock cut on M17 photo by Aidan Stuart

We also arranged advance contracts to divert major ESB and Telecom services out of any conflict zone with the road scheme and we set up good channels of communication between our road designers and other infrastructure providers such as Bord Gais who were busy installing a major gas main adjacent to the route of the road so that the potential for conflict was eliminated at an early design stage.

Vertical drains being driven in area of soft ground on M17- photo by Aidan Stuart

An Bord Pleanala approved the CPOʼs and the EISʼs prepared by Galway County Council thereby ensuring that the scheme had full planning permission in advance of the PPP scheme. Tobin Engineers Galway whose project team was led by Tom Cannon assisted Galway County Council in reaching this goal.

We were therefore able to present a “shovel ready” scheme to Transport Infrastructure Ireland when they were considering schemes nationally for inclusion in their PPP program of works. Galway County Council would like to acknowledge the support and encouragement of TII at all stages of this project. Peter Walsh and John McGuinness helped bring the project to tender stage while Kieran Kelly and Obey Mhondera were on site regularly during the construction phase as Authorities Representative on site. Great credit is also due to staff in the Galway Roads office, in particular Jack Eising, Michael Timmins, Jerry Dunne, Adrian Farragher, Rachel Lowe, Fintan OʼMeara, Laura Heneghan, and Eric Van Der Zee, all of whom have contributed to the success of the scheme.

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The liaison team of Tony Collins Padraig Wall and Niall Morrissey have been on site continuously for the past three years and have done an excellent job in dealing with the many issues that arise on a scheme of this magnitude which involved 440 landowners and a land purchase of 470 hectares of land.

Brief description of the project There are six junctions along the scheme Kiltiernan connecting to the existing N18, Rathmorrissy Interchange which is a three tier grade separated junction with free flow mainline rotary carriageway and freeflow slip roads Annagh Hill connecting to the N63 Roscommon Road Kilmore Junction connecting to the old N17 south of Tuam Airgloony connecting to the R332 Ballygaddy Road and Mountpotter connecting to the existing N17 north of Tuam.

The construction of the Kilmore junction on the M17 was particularly challenging as it involved construction of a major roundabout in an area of soft ground. Roadbridge and their designers came up with an appropriate design solution whereby the top layer of peat was removed and the underlying marl, in places several metres deep, was consolidated by means of vertical drains and surcharging of the road formation layer.

Rathmorrisy Interchange was also challenging in that it involved the construction of three bridges over the existing live M6 Dublin Galway Motorway. The delivery partner at Rathmorrissy Sisk, arranged for night time rolling closures of the M6 to facilitate several 80 tonne beam lifts. Again teamwork and co-operation with M6 O&M company proved the key to a very successful operation completed without incident. Completion of the structures over the M6 was vital for haulage of road making material along the project road, which was a condition built into the PPP contract in order to avoid damage to local roads.

M6 M17 M18 Interchange at Rathmorrissy Athenry, -three tier grade separated junction with free flow main line, rotary carriageway and free flow slip roads.

The delivery partner in the south of the scheme Lagan Construction Group faced challenges of a different kind where significant karst features are found in the limestone underlying the scheme. Lagan and Jacobs engaged excellent geotechnical advisors who developed a karst protocol for dealing safely with any such features, where they arose. Where there is karst, one will find underground water bearing conduits and several flood mitigation measures were built into the scheme to ensure that the construction work did not interfere with existing groundwater flows.

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Enhanced Regional Competitiveness At the road opening ceremony Cathaoirleach of Galway County Council Eileen Mannion emphasised how completion of the motorway project would enhance the competitiveness of the region: We now have efficient access to international airports at Shannon and Knock, thanks to the completion of the M17 and the M18. This helps our international competitiveness when exporting goods overseas. We look forward to the completion of the ongoing work by Galway National Roads Office on the Galway City Ring Road and I congratulate all involved in this marvellous project in bringing this major infrastructure boost to the region.

M17 Annagh Hill Junction

Thanks expressed to Landowners Michael Timmins Director of Roads & Transportation with Galway County Council expressed thanks to the elected members of Galway County Council for their ongoing support for the project and he also thanked the landowners along the scheme for their help and co-operation during the construction project. Tony Collins Project Liaison officer also noted the positive contribution and store of local knowledge which the local community, both landowners and elected members, had brought to the scheme which had been of great assistance to the project team in arriving at this stage of the project.

M18 Kiltiernan Junction

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Changes to National Road Network in Galway Following the opening of the M17 M18 Gort to Tuam motorway, the national road network in the region surrounding the scheme has been reviewed by Department of Transport, Transport Infrastructure Ireland and Galway County Council. It has been agreed to reclassify a number of roads in the region as shown on the M17 M18 Classification map. The principal changes are as follows:

N17 south of Tuam will become the N83.

N63 Claregalway - Roscommon Road will become R354 west of new motorway until it joins with new N83 at Loughgeorge (Claregalway) N18 north of Kilcolgan will become N67.

N18 south of Kilcolgan will become R458 N66 Gort Loughrea road will become R380

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BRINGING QUALITY TO THE SURFACE

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Irelands first "Green Bridge" Irelandʼs first-ever “green bridge” has been constructed over Galwayʼs new M18 motorway in a bid to conserve an internationally important colony of Lesser Horseshoe Bats.

As part of the agreed environmental impact mitigation measures, a number of wildlife-friendly features have been incorporated into the design of the M17 M18 motorway project. These include mammal underpasses, situated where mammal activity has been detected by ecologists working on behalf on the project. The objective of the underpasses is to minimize habitat fragmentation and avoid road kill.

Green bridge over Galwayʼs new M18 motorway

Mammal proof wildlife fencing has also been incorporated in order to guide mammals towards the underpasses and allow them to cross the carriageway safely. Another interesting aspect of the project from a conservation perspective is the addition of a “green bridge” to the project. The purpose-built bridge, located near Coole Park Nature Reserve, is the first of its kind in Ireland.

All of Irelandʼs 12 bat species are protected under the EU Habitats Directive and require “strict protection” as they are listed in Annex IV of the directive. The Lesser Horseshoe Bat has additional legal protection as they are listed in Annex II, which ensures that important areas for this species are designated as special areas of conservation.

Project Engineer, Tony Collins, described how the “green overpass” has been specifically designed as a flight corridor to channel bats across the motorway. As part of the ecological investigations carried out at route selection stage we radio tagged several lesser horseshoe bats under licence from NPWS and tracked their commuting routes. We noted a distinct pattern of movement from a roosting site in Kiltartan towards the woods of Coole Park where the bats would feed nightly. The movement was principally along hedgerows where the bats would graze on insects. The approaches to the bridge and the bridge deck have been planted with hedgerow vegetation to guide bats to and from the bat bridge. The green bridge will also allow the safe passage of other mammals over the motorway and will also cater for agricultural vehicles.

Kieran Flood, Conservation Officer for the Irish Wildlife Trust, welcomed the construction of the bridge and the incorporation of wildlife crossings into infrastructure designs in Ireland.

This bridge has attracted huge media attention and has already featured on radio and internet sites

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“Any measures to reduce the degree of habitat fragmentation caused by motorway construction is a welcome step in the right direction,” he added.

Wildlife crossings have become increasingly popular in mainland Europe and North America over the past few decades as a recognised measure to mitigate the effects of habitat fragmentation which is recognized as a factor in loss of biodiversity.

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KOFI for Everything, From Driveways to Highways, we have got you covered!

Kellys Of Fantane Quarries Tipperary have been in operation since the late 1940ʼs. We have built very successful business relationships with our clients through our professionalism and consistency over the decades.

KOF has made a significant contribution to Irelandʼs infrastructure through involvement in some of the countryʼs major road projects. We have worked with Local Authorities as an approved specialist surfacing contractor and have the experience of over 30 years in the industry, developing a reputation for quality. Kellyʼs offer a wide range of top quality building materials, including Bituminous Materials, Surfacing Materials, Delay Set Macadam, Concrete Blocks, Readymix Concrete and Quarry Products. All products are designed to exceed customer expectations while an in-house Quality Control team ensures that all products meet the requirements of the current EN standards and specifications.

Kellyʼs of Fantane produce a wide range of bituminous materials from their fully automated tar plant, which produces macadam and asphalt for use on everything from Driveways to Highways.

All of the bituminous products produced comply with the requirements of the National Roads Authority Specification for Road Works, Series 900.

The quarries produce a very high-quality, durable stone and is in big demand all over the country.

We supply high P.S.V. chippings for surface dressing & coated chippings for HRA Works , which are used nationwide and can be produced at relatively short notice and delivered to any location.

One of the real beauties of KOF is that they operate a veritable one-stop shop, supplying local authorities and civil engineering companies alike not just with quality materials but also with a specialist service and machinery for any contract.

Kellys of Fantane International Fantane, Borrisoleigh, Thurles, Co Tipperary.

Phone: 050 4 52118 Email: admin@kofintl.com • Website:www.kofintl.com LAN LOCAL AUTHORITY NEWS

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ELVES – The Compliance Scheme for End-of-Life Vehicles J

anuary 2017 saw the introduction of a new compliance scheme for end-of-life vehicles. Elena Wrelton from ELVES, the new compliance scheme for the sector, tells us more about the recent changes.

So what changes has 2017 brought for the end-of-life vehicle sector?

There have been big changes in the sector this year with the establishment and approval of ELVES the compliance scheme for the sector. Before changes were made to the ELV Regulations in late 2016, vehicle importers and suppliers (known as producers) were required to self-comply with each and every local authority, an obligation that involved a significant administrative burden.

Since the approval of ELVES in January 2017 by Minister Denis Naughten, producers now have another option, namely membership of ELVES. This reduces unnecessary administration and instead enables producers to contribute to a combined effort to make improvements to the processing and recycling of endof-life vehicles.

So tell me more about ELVES? ELVES, or ELV Environmental Services, was established by vehicle manufacturers to deliver on their obligations under the ELV Regulations. Our aim as an organisation is to help ensure Ireland meets the tough reuse, recycling and recovery targets set by the End-Of Life Vehicles Directive – 85% reuse and recycling and an overall 95% if you include energy recovery.

We are a non-profit company and membership is open to importers and suppliers of new and used vehicles into the Republic of Ireland.

So how does ELVES intend to contribute to reuse and recycling rates?

Firstly, we have established a network of Authorised Treatment Facilities (ATFs, known as scrapyards) that will take back scrap cars or small vans from the public free of charge, as long as they have no rubbish in them and are complete. The ATFs in our network are independent businesses and are working with us to report the reuse and recycling they achieve. Dismantling ATFs play a key role in ensuring parts from vehicles are reused and make an important contribution to the achievement of the EU Targets. Not all ATFs will be in our network, but we already have a good geographic coverage and expect more to join next year.

Secondly, we want to increase awareness of the right way to scrap a vehicle to make sure cars are taken to permitted scrapyards and are issued with a Certificate of Destruction (CoD) when they are scrapped.

We are working on a number of other projects to support the processing of end-of-life vehicles, including improving the issuing of CoDs and working with re-processors that receive depolluted ELVs from the ATFs. A year into our approval period, we are making good progress and expect other projects to be identified in time.

So how will this affect Local Authorities?

Local authorities play a huge role in the waste management regime, including in the issuing of Waste Permits and the inspection of ATFs. The compliance scheme will work alongside the local authorities, the role of local authorities in respect to ATFs will remain unchanged.

For the ELV sector they also play a key role in producer compliance. Under the ELV Regulations, importers and suppliers of new and used vehicles have obligations and should self-comply or join ELVES in respect to the vehicles that they are responsible for putting on Irish roads. ELVES was established by the importers of new vehicles, and we are now approaching the suppliers of used vehicles to join. We are pleased to see that ELV Regulation compliance has been identified as an enforcement priority area for 2018, and we are looking forward to supporting, where we can, the Waste Enforcement Regional Local Authorities (WERLAs) in their work on this.

To find out more, ELVES can be contacted on info@elves.ie or www.elves.ie LAN LOCAL AUTHORITY NEWS

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FIREBIRD’S NEW ENVIROAIR HEAT PUMP CAN BE COMBINED WITH A FIREBIRD OIL BOILER OR A GAS BOILER. irebird Heating Solutions has always been a name you can trust and is now a market leader in hybrid heating, with the launch of their new range of Enviroair heat pump/boiler hybrid systems. Combining the Enviroair heat pump with a Firebird Enviromax boiler or a gas boiler, quite literally take heating to another level.

The hybrid range not only boasts ultra-quiet operation, but the excellent COP (Coefficient Performance) can produce an incredible 4kW of energy for every kW of energy used to power the heat pump. These high levels of efficiency will reduce fuel bills for the homeowner when compared to other heat pump systems. Available in single phase outputs from 7.5kW to 16kW, the Enviroair hybrid range provides a compact and space saving solution as a single Monobloc unit that is installed outside the property.

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However, combined with the highly successful Enviromax boiler range or a gas boiler, the hybrid system will ensure that 100% comfort heating is provided throughout the year, regardless of the weather conditions.

Environmentally friendly, the Enviroair hybrid system provides the perfect heating solution for the modern new build, combining market leading technologies with over 35 years of experience. The system is easy to install and offers total flexibility, providing Part L Compliance and high BER ratings. The hybrid range has particular functions, including screed drying when integrated into an underfloor heating system. To complete the hybrid, Firebird also offer cylinders specifically designed for heat pump operation. These are preplumbed and make installation easy. There are 5 cylinders which range from 180 litres to 400 litres.

The outstanding energy efficiency of the Enviroair hybrid range is achieved by utilising cutting-edge DC Inverter Technology that saves on energy consumption and money all year round. This technology keeps temperature fluctuations to a minimum and ensures heat output matches the heating load of the property.

Room temperatures are controlled effortlessly and efficiently with an intuitive, top of the range, intelligent heating control. The system controller automatically runs the entire heating system and balances demand between the heat pump and boiler in colder climates and also has a built in weather compensation control facility.

Firebird Heating Solutions specialise in providing a total heating package solution. The comprehensive product range includes oil fired boilers, gas boilers, solar thermal systems, stoves, range cookers and biomass boilers.

For further information on the Enviroair hybrid range or other products in the range please visit www.firebird.ie or contact Firebird Heating Solutions:

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Celebrating 50 Years in Business Next year, the MacArdle McSweeney practice, one of Irelandʼs longest established M&E design consultants, will celebrate its 50th anniversary. With this landmark anniversary on the horizon, long-serving director Damien Egan reflects on the history of the company as well as its current well-being.

Landmark developments throughout the country The practice has played a pivotal role in many of Dublinʼs highest profile office developments. These include PWC Corporate Headquarters; the largest single office complex, the Montevetro Tower its tallest commercial office building; and the iconic National Convention Centre, the largest single-use building constructed in Ireland in recent years.

MMA won the prestigious ACEI Presidentʼs Award for Excellence in the Design of the Mechanical and Electrical Services to the Convention Centre for its innovative use of technology with features such as a thermal-wheel heat-recovery system and an ice-storage thermal storage unit.

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New Alliance In 2015, MMA became part of the Headcount Group, and it is now based in Balbriggan, Co. Dublin.

The combined MMA and Headcount Engineering practice trades as MMA Consulting Engineers. As well as giving MMA access to the latest BIM and 3D design technology and it also allows it to scale up its manpower resources for the largest of infrastructural projects while still offering the lean partner-centric design teams that have been a hallmark of its past successes.

Headcount is Irelandʼs largest outsourced engineering provider with clients in the food & beverage, pharmaceutical, semi-conductor and construction industries. They have also amassed a significant pool of engineers at their head office working on diverse international projects, such as a brewery in Mexico, a bakery in Saudi and with a food equipment manufacturer in Denmark.

The Power of 3D & Digital scanning Director Damien Egan is pleased to report that the alliance has been a resounding success and that business is currently brisk: “Itʼs picking up substantially,” he notes.

“We currently have 32 staff, including a team of fully resourced 3D BIM and Revit design technicians.”

Innovation is a priority in delivering high quality service to clients and by embracing the use of 3D design and digital scanners, MMA Consulting Engineers is now at the cutting edge when it comes to delivering services using the latest technological advances. “People initially struggle to see why they might need it but as soon as we show them what can be done with a 3D model and how we can map out the building, they quickly see how useful it is and the multitude of advantages it brings, including very significant coordination and cost efficiencies” says Damien.

Working with Developers, Architects & Quantity Surveyors MMA Consulting Engineers is fully resourced to provide a portfolio of M&E design services at competitive rates to cater for the recent resurgence of activity in the public and private residential sectors. At planning stage, their 3D modelling team uses a terrestrial laser scanner to quickly provide models of the surrounding buildings so that they can easily extend their energy modelling brief to sunlight and shadow modelling for planning purposes. This approach has helped developers and architects consistently attain planning approval for high density developments. Their energy modelers use a suite of LEED tools to help clients optimise the return on commercial projects by delivering the right balance between construction costs for the quantity surveyor and energy running costs for the occupier while attaining the highest sustainability standards.

Damien Egan Electrical Director: Damien.egan@mma.ie or 086 244 3840 MMA Consulting Engineers, 4E Fingal Bay Business Park, Balbriggan, County Dublin Tel: 01 6905040 • Email:info@mma.ie • Web: mma.ie

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EMS Air Quality and Noise Monitoring Systems EMS Environmental Monitoring Systems Limited can design, build and install a wide range of Air Quality Monitoring Systems. Full size walk in shelters, mobile trailers and vans, roadside cabinets and compact systems such as AQMesh which can be mounted onto walls, poles or even vehicles. These come in all shapes and sizes, colours and specifications and can be adapted to survive the worst of climate extremes. The Palas FIDAS 200 has been chosen by the Irish EPA as the preferred unit for particulate measurement in the National Air Quality Network.

Our Environmental Noise Kits offer a fully weather protected noise monitoring solution.

It easily integrates with our Optimus Green to enable continuous noise monitoring in any environment you choose.

EMS Environmental Monitoring Systems Limited, Unit 40 Stadium Business Park, Ballycoolin Road Dublin 11, D11 CV65. Tel: +353-1-8853954 Fax: +353-1-8853959 Email: chris@emsys.ie Website: www.emsys.ie

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Burning Solid Fuel is the Biggest Threat to Good Air Quality in Ireland he EPAʼs latest report on air quality, released today, shows that burning of solid fuel is the biggest threat to good air quality in Ireland, followed by emissions from vehicle exhausts. Despite monitored air quality being within EU limit values we face challenges in maintaining this position. And, at a number of locations, air quality failed to meet the World Health Organisation (WHO) guideline values for a range of pollutants including fine particulate matter, which pose risks to peopleʼs health.

The levels of particulate matter in our air is of growing concern, especially during the winter months when peopleʼs fuel choices can directly impact on our air quality and on our health, particularly in small towns and villages. The predominant source of fine particulate matter is from the burning of solid fuel. Also, in urban areas, we face potential exceedances of nitrogen dioxide limit values unless we reduce our dependence on the private motor car.

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In recognition of these challenges to our air quality, the EPA today launched a new national ambient air quality monitoring programme. The programme will significantly increase the availability of localised realtime air quality information to enable the public to make informed decisions and better inform national and regional policymakers. The programme is built around three key pillars: A greatly expanded national monitoring network with 38 new automatic monitoring stations, providing enhanced real-time information to the public.

• Modelling and forecasting capability, to provide an ongoing air quality forecast to the public.

• Encouraging greater understanding and involvement of the public in air quality issues utilising citizen engagement and citizen science initiatives.

In launching the new programme, Laura Burke, Director General of the EPA, said, “poor air quality is a major public health issue with approximately 1,500 premature deaths in Ireland in 2014 directly attributable to air pollution, mainly due to cardiopulmonary and respiratory health impacts from particulate matter. It has become increasingly clear that there are no safe level of pollutants and with this in mind, it is time to tackle the biggest issue impacting on air quality in Ireland – emissions from solid fuels in our small towns around the country.

While the EU has introduced and implemented a range of legal instruments to improve air quality, these standards are still not in line with the tighter WHO air quality guidelines. The EPA again calls for movement towards the adoption of these stricter guidelines, especially for particulates and ozone, as legal and enforceable standards across Europe and in Ireland.ʼ According to Patrick Kenny, EPA Air Quality Manager: “Ireland met all EU legal standards for air quality in 2016 at EPA monitoring stations but values for particulate matter (with the predominant source solid fuel burning), ozone, nitrogen dioxide and sulphur dioxide were above the WHO air quality guidelines at some of these stations. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), which originate from solid fuel and “back yard” burning were also above the European Environment Agency (EEA) reference level. A key part of the approach to tackling these issues is better engagement with the public on the topic of air quality. The first step in this process is improved access to air quality data and information. The National Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Programme (AAMP), which is launched today, will significantly improve the availability of localised real-time air quality information to enable the public to make informed decisions and better inform national and regional policymakers.”

The EPA continually monitors air quality across Ireland and provides the air quality index for health and real-time results. Results are updated hourly on the website, and you can log on at any time to check whether the current air quality in your locality is good, fair or poor. Go to www.epa.ie/air/quality/index/

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Keeping communities safe in storms

At the height of Storm Ophelia, local authorities in Ireland took advantage of a map-based public alert service to help keep communities safe.

Powering across the country in October this year, Ophelia was the worst storm to hit Ireland since records began. Winds reached 96 miles per hour (156 km per hour) in some regions, causing power failures, floods and blocked roads. Tragically, three people lost their lives, but many more may have died or been injured if it hadnĘźt been for a public alert service used by eleven local authorities.

Wexford, Waterford, Cork, Kilkenny, Carlow, Tipperary, Limerick, Roscommon, Monaghan, Fingal and Donegal County Councils all used a service called MapAlerter, developed by Pin Point Alerts Ltd using Esri geographic information system (GIS) technology, to make members of the public aware of potentially dangerous issues, such as impassable roads and fallen powerlines. Council employees working either in offices or in the field could send out regular alerts and keep citizens informed about changes in the conditions of roads and new hazards, as the storm passed by. During the three-day period when the storm was at its most severe, more than 500,000 emergency alerts were generated.

Members of the public subscribe to the MapAlerter service for free and can elect to receive news by SMS, email, social media or mobile app. The solution uses EsriĘźs ArcGIS technology to determine which emergency situations are pertinent for which subscribers, depending on their home address and other key locations, such as their places of work. For example, if a fallen tree completely blocks a road, MapAlerter subscribers who receive the alert can view an ArcGIS map in near real-time to identify the affected area and get advice on alternative, safer ways home.

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“The map is at the very heart of our MapAlerter communications service – as its name suggests,” says Brendan Cunningham, Managing Director of Pin Point Alerts, the company that provides the MapAlerter service. “By mapping the exact locations of incidents and analysing the geographies where our subscribers live and work, Esriʼs ArcGIS technology enables our MapAlerter service to send members of the public information that is precisely relevant to them.”

As ArcGIS is an integral part of the MapAlerter service, councils can easily integrate alerts with their own inhouse ArcGIS platforms to improve their emergency planning, as Cork County Council did during Storm Ophelia. The council used ArcGIS Online in its Emergency Management Centre to display the locations of incidents highlighted in alerts on interactive maps. MapAlerter supplied supplementary alerts on the latest weather from Met Éireann and river levels from the Office of Public Works, and the ArcGIS Online map updated every 60 seconds, enabling the council to track the progress and impact of the storm in real time. Employees could therefore easily identify areas where the greatest damage was occurring and respond quickly to protect citizens.

While the MapAlerter service came into its own during Storm Ophelia, it is not only for crisis situations. Indeed, the service is used day in, day out by several local authorities in Ireland to provide timely and relevant information to local residents on anything ranging from local events to development proposals. As Dermot OʼKane Client Manager at Esri Ireland says, “Itʼs not just in extreme weather events that councils need to communicate quickly. Esriʼs ArcGIS platform gives MapAlerter the ability to provide a highly versatile and targeted commination service for local authorities.”

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Developing the next River Basin Management Plan; a collaborative approach.

A River Basin Management Plan (RBMP) requires a clear understanding of what is happening in the rivers, lakes, groundwater, estuaries and beaches of the river basin district in question. The next RBMP for Ireland will cover the entire country and set out measures and objectives for a four year period of 2018 – 2021.

Under Article 14 of the EU Water Framework Directive (WFD) Member States are required ʻto encourage the active involvement of all interested parties in the production, review and updating of river basin management plansʼ, in six year cycles up to 2027. Such participation in Ireland is evident through the involvement of local communities and public agencies in the development of the current RBMP for Ireland 2018 - 2021.

The draft RBMP for Ireland was open for public consultation from February to August 2017.

During that time, the Local Authority Waters and Communities Office (LAWCO) organised a total of 123 public meetings across the entire country to raise awareness about the draft plan and to encourage local communities to have their say on matters concerning their local waters and to make submissions on the draft plan.

In total 956 local submissions were received covering a broad range of issues and interests.

These submissions have been collated to assist the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government in the development of the pending RBMP, due to be published early 2018. Any issues raised at these public meetings that can be addressed at a local level will be referred to the relevant Local Authority and public agency for follow up.

Map of Areas for Action

A significant part in the process of developing river basin management plans is to understand the pressures impacting on all waterbodies so that specific measures can be identified and implemented to manage those pressures, i.e. ʻthe right measure in the right placeʼ. The catchment characterisation process undertaken since 2015 by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) with the assistance of both the Local Authorities and Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI), assessed the risk of a particular waterbody not meeting the objectives of the WFD. During the second half of 2017 the EPA and LAWCO facilitated catchment assessment workshops in each of the five Water and Environment Management Regions (Border, Midlands & East, West, South East & South West). At these workshops discussions took place on pressures impacting on individual waterbodies and staff from over 30 public bodies and organisations shared detailed scientific and technical knowledge on each catchment in the region. Attendees included Local Authorities (staff and senior management), LAWCO, Irish Water, IFI, Forestry Service, Coillte, NPWS, Teagasc, DHPLG, GSI, NFGWS, DAFM, Marine Institute, Bord Iascaigh Mhara, Sea Fisheries Protection Authority, Waterways Ireland, National Water Forum, ESB, Loughs Agency, LIFE Projects and Local Development Companies.

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These regional workshops provided a forum for public bodies and stakeholders working with water to review and discuss the available information on each catchment and input from their own areas of expertise, thus allowing for the capture of local knowledge to assist with the scientific basis for prioritising ʻAreas for Actionʼ on specific waterbodies. The reason for creating a priority list is to focus available resources during the period of the second cycle RBMP, i.e. 2018-2021.

Ruth Hennessey, Tipperary County Council presenting at a public meeting.

The recommended ʻAreas for Actionʼ were then brought forward to each of the five Regional Water and Environment Committees for their discussion and approval. These regional committees are made up of Senior Management from the respective Local Authorities with LAWCO providing a shared service across the five regions. It has been identified that additional resources will be required to focus on these ʻAreas for Actionʼ and to support the ongoing activities of Local Authorities, public bodies and communities.

Recruitment is currently underway for staff to be based at a number of regional centres across the entire country.

At a local level, the recommended ʻAreas for Actionʼ in each county were presented to the Elected Members of Local Authorities and also put on public display. This provided an opportunity for feedback where it was felt that other areas should be prioritised for action over the period 2018 – 2021. All submissions received will be stress tested against RBMP objectives and the criteria used to select the recommended Areas for Action to maximise the potential benefits to society.

Public agencies working together at the Southwest catchment characterisation workshop.

The RBMP for Ireland 2018 – 2021 will be published in early 2018 and will include details of the significant pressures on our natural waters and a Programme of Measures to tackle those pressures. In addition, new staff will be recruited to work with Local Authorities and agencies to target specific ʻAreas for Actionʼ. This collaborative approach will help focus resources over the life of the RBMP for maximum effect and benefits.

The development of the plan has involved public and stakeholder participation during 2017, following on from the consultation on ʻSignificant Water Management Issues in Irelandʼ (June 2015). This process has included discussion from a scientific, technical and local perspective, all necessary to create a better understanding of the pressures on our rivers, lakes, estuaries, groundwater and coastal waters, whilst also highlighting the value local communities place on a healthy water environment.

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Irish Water and Minister Simon Coveney turn the sod on €16.3m upgrade of wastewater treatment in Enniscorthy Irish Water has marked the official start of the €16.3 million project to upgrade the wastewater treatment facilities in Enniscorthy, an investment which will bring significant environmental and economic benefits to the area.

Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government Simon Coveney was in Enniscorthy to turn the sod on the project this morning.

Enniscorthy is one of the larger towns around Ireland where there is inadequate treatment of wastewater being discharged into waterways. This project will address these deficiencies and ensure that wastewater is fully treated and is compliant with all licence requirements and environmental regulations before being discharged into the River Slaney. It will also provide the additional capacity to allow for future economic and population growth in the Enniscorthy area.

The work will involve the upgrade and expansion of the existing Enniscorthy wastewater treatment plant and the decommissioning of the existing Kilagoley wastewater treatment plant along with extensive upgrade work to three pumping stations, construction of a new foul sewer and sewer rehabilitation works.

The project, which is being delivered in partnership with Wexford County Council, will be carried out by the Ward & Burke Group. It is planned to be delivered over a two year period.

Welcoming the start of the project, Minister Coveney commented: “This is a very significant investment in Enniscorthy and I am delighted to be here to turn the sod on a project which will have many benefits for the town and the wider area. This work will lead not only to a big improvement in the quality of water in the River Slaney by ensuring that all water is fully treated before being discharged into the river, but it will also provide the capacity for future residential and commercial growth in the town.”

Michael Tinsley, Infrastructure Portfolio Delivery Manager with Irish Water, commented: “This project will result in a large increase in the wastewater treatment capacity in Enniscorthy. Irish Water is investing €16.3 million to construct a new state-of-the-art treatment plant which is vitally important in protecting the quality of water in the river Slaney.

“By replacing the existing treatment plant, which is operating above capacity, it will also provide the scope needed to facilitate ongoing development in the town into the future.”

Cathaoirleach of Wexford County Council, Cllr Paddy Kavanagh, said: “This investment by Irish Water in Wexford is very welcome and will clearly be very beneficial not only for the people and businesses of Enniscorthy but for all who use the River Slaney for swimming, fishing and other commercial and recreational activities. It means the town can continue to grow and develop while protecting our waterways and natural environment.”

Work is due to get underway over the coming weeks and, in addition to the upgrade of the treatment plant, will include extensive mechanical and electrical upgrade work to three pumping stations located at the Promenade, St Johnʼs and Spring Valley, including the provision of flood measures at the Promenade pumping station.

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It will also include construction of a new foul sewer along Esmonde Road to divert flows from Killagoley to the Spring Valley pumping station and sewer rehabilitation work on Spring Valley Road.

The project team will engage with the local community in advance of planned works in their areas and contact details will be provided should they have any queries. The team will also work closely with An Garda Síochána and Wexford County Council Roads Department to manage traffic while the works are underway.

Contract signed to upgrade 5km of ageing water mains in Swords The project will deliver an average saving of 44 million litres of water every month Commenting on the project, Paul Hickey, Irish Water Regional Lead said “The project to replace this ageing water main in Swords is a priority project for Irish Water. This concrete water main, was laid in 1970 and has had a long history of bursting. The replacement of the ageing mains forms part of Irish Waterʼs investment to improve the water infrastructure in the Fingal area. The project will ensure that customers in Swords and in parts of Malahide and Portmarnock will have a more reliable and secure water supply”.

rish Water has signed a contract with GMC Utilities Group to replace 5km of ageing water mains in Swords. The 30” concrete water main was laid in 1970 and will be replaced between Cooks Road and Forest Road south of Swords, along Forest Road to the junction with the Dublin Road / Main Street Swords, then along Main Street and North Street and onwards to Lissenhall, ending near the Swords north M1 motorway junction. Irish Water is investing approximately €9m in this project, which will take almost 2 years to complete. Works are expected to commence in the coming months.

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Once replaced, the new water main will greatly improve the reliability of the water supply for homes and businesses in Swords and also to customers in Malahide and Portmarnock served by the Malahide Reservoir. Throughout the project, residents and businesses will be advised of all works in advance and will be given 48 hoursʼ notice of any planned water shut offs. Every effort will be made by the project team to avoid unplanned bursts to the water supply during the construction of the project.

Irish Water will host a public drop-in information evening, a business information meeting and a briefing for elected representatives in the coming weeks so that the community is kept fully informed about the project. The project team will also work closely with businesses to minimise any potential disruption and work with An Garda Síochána to manage traffic while the works are underway.

For further information on this project and to be kept update on project milestone please visit the project page.

Capital investment in the region of €700 million per year is needed for a sustained period of several decades to address the poor condition of Irelandʼs water infrastructure. Works have been prioritised to address the most critical issues in line with commitments outlined in Irish Waterʼs Business Plan up to 2021. Delivery of the business plan will involve a €5.5bn investment in capital spending on drinking water and wastewater quality and capacity and new infrastructure up to 2021 while achieving efficiencies of €1.6bn.

During the works it may be necessary to: • Temporarily shut off water supply to enable connections to be made; • Restrict access to parking; • Restrict traffic or close a road for a short time to ensure work is carried out safely; • From time to time carry out some works in the evening, at night or at weekends.

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Portumna public water supply removed from the EPAʼs Remedial Action List Remedial Action List for Galway reduced to 3 from 13 schemes in 2016.

The Portumna water supply has been removed from the Environmental Protection Agencyʼs (EPA) Remedial Action List (RAL) following a programme of upgrade works to the treatment plant by Irish Water.

Last May, the Portumna water supply was deemed to be THM-compliant by the EPA who then changed the schemeʼs categorisation on the RAL to ʻtreatment and management issuesʼ. Upon completion of a year-long programme of works to enhance process optimisation procedures at the plant, along with upgrade works, the scheme has been removed from the list.

THMs, or Trihalomethanes are chemicals formed by the reaction of naturally occurring dissolved organic material and chlorine which is used for disinfection in order to protect against pathogenic bacteria.

The Inishmean supply, which serves a population of 161 people was added to the last RAL for elevated levels of THMs in the water. Irish Water has identified the solution and is working to have these works completed in the coming months. The utility is also carrying out upgrade works to the Ballinasloe Water Treatment Plant which supplies a population of 7,959 people.

Last year there were 13 Galway water supplies on the RAL, but due to significant investment by Irish Water this has been reduced to three with ongoing works taking place at these plants to ensure their removal from the EPAʼs action list.

The remaining Galway scheme is Williamstown which supplies 986 people and this will be connected to the Lough Mask Regional Water supply early in the new year.

This work comes in the aftermath of seven long term boil water notices being lifted on water supplies in Co Galway last year which benefited 22,834 people who no longer have to boil their water before consumption, making Galway currently a boil water notice-free zone.

Welcoming this latest RAL update Irish Waterʼs Regional Compliance Specialist Pat OʼSullivan said: “The publication of the latest RAL update is a confirmation of the focus and dedication of Irish Water and Galway County Council in ensuring the delivery of clean and wholesome water in the county. Works are advancing on the three remaining schemes which we are confident of delivering in the coming months.”

The remaining schemes on the RAL are Ballinasloe Regional Water Supply Scheme, Inishmean, and Williamstown Public Supply which are all on the RAL due to elevated levels of THMs in the water.

Irish Water has put in place the first national THM plan and a prioritised programme of investment to address all inadequacies in drinking water parameters including THMs. By 2021 the utility plans to reduce the number of schemes on the RAL to zero with an investment of €327 million in upgrading water supplies at risk from THMs.

In November 2015, Irish Water announced an investment of €36 million in water infrastructure and €58 million in wastewater infrastructure across Galway. The RAL is updated quarterly by the EPA for those water supplies where investment in treatment processes is required. Irish Water has a prioritised programme of investment for all schemes on the RAL.

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Irish Water’s systematic and standardised approach to tackling wastewater infrastructure delivering results Report shows size and scale of challenge faced by Irish Water The EPA Urban Wastewater report published today clearly shows the size and scale of the challenge faced by Irish Water in meeting the demands of decades of underinvestment in wastewater infrastructure. This is a key element of the infrastructure challenge that Irish Water, in 2015, estimated would cost €13billion and require largescale investment over several investment cycles.

The EPA report identifies major progress by Irish Water in the period since 2014, as 65 new or upgraded plants have been delivered. In this period, in addition, our asset upgrade programmes delivered or are in the process of delivering over 2,700 individual projects. Currently we have over 1,400 active projects between large infrastructure and capital projects at a value of €2.2billion.

Irish Water recognised from the beginning that improved operations would deliver greater compliance from existing assets. This is being addressed through a number of programmes, including process audit and training, process upgrades through capital improvements, new standard operating procedures, tackling high industrial loads of wastewater at source where relevant, backed up by much more robust monitoring and testing regime. These programmes will continue to be expanded and are already making a positive impact.

The EPA report correctly identified a deficit in information on collection systems and the fact that Irish Water has commenced a major programme of network surveys and modelling of performance. This will cover the networks in 42 major towns and cities across Ireland. This is extremely resource intensive in order to quantify sewer capacity, overflows causing pollution and infiltration of storm water. The report identifies compliance issues due to collection systems in Cork, Thurles and Roscrea among 13 agglomerations listed by the EPA. As the national picture is clarified by further surveys, Irish Water expects that this will define major further investment requirements into the future.

When Irish Water took over responsibility for water and wastewater in 2014, the national utility prioritised the health of our customers by focusing on improving drinking water, where boil water notices affected over 20,000 people, with many more at risk. This has taken substantial investment and work at every stage of a very complex treatment, monitoring and testing process. We also had to prioritise the resilience of our water network and address leakage and high burst frequency to ensure that customers had a reliable supply.

Speaking about the report, Irish Waterʼs Head of Asset Management Seán Laffey said “As with drinking water, Irish Water as a single utility can for the first time have an over-arching strategy on wastewater.

This planned approach will in time deliver sustained benefits in terms of improved compliance in wastewater treatment. The EPA report correctly reflects the size and scale of the challenge facing Irish Water as we work to meet the needs of homes and businesses around the country and facilitate future growth.

Between 2014 and 2015, Irish Water increased the investment in wastewater to €166m, an increase of 22% on the average expenditure between 2011-2013.

From 2016 – 2021, the remaining period of the Irish Water Business Plan, the utility is ramping up investment to spend an average of €326m per year on wastewater infrastructure. This is only possible by bringing a large number of projects through a complex planning process, while optimising value for money.

In the earlier years, large projects were each planned and delivered as single projects. We now have a number of programmes in place which are covering multiple projects at a time. For the untreated agglomerations, we are combining 20 sites in a single programme with efficiency benefits through standardisation and tender scale.

The lead in time for building or upgrading a wastewater treatment plant can be up to three years to ensure that all planning, regulatory, environmental and statutory obligations are met. Site selection, public consultation and site purchase are also vital parts of the process. A substantial amount of this preparatory work is underway and people will see the outcome of this work over the coming years as construction begins on more and more sites.”

In 2014 we took over a portfolio of projects from the local authorities that were all at different stages of development. In many cases the projects needed to be re-scoped, or the necessary planning and environmental statutory processes were not yet in place and in some cases sites had not yet been required.

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M inster Eoghan Murphy T.D. and Minister Michael Creed T.D. launch the Sustainability Support and Advisory Programme The Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government, Mr. Eoghan Murphy T.D., and the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Mr. Michael Creed T.D., together with Jim Woulfe, Chairperson of Dairy Industry Ireland, has launched an innovative collaboration between Government and industry to promote and encourage sustainable farming while meeting stringent water quality requirements.

The ʻSustainability Support and Advisory Programmeʼ is a new approach to achieving improvement in water quality involving the establishment and joint funding of a resource of 30 Agricultural Sustainability Advisors.

Commenting at the launch, Minister Murphy and Minister Creed stated: “We are delighted to be launching the Sustainability Support and Advisory Programme today. This initiative is another demonstration of the Governmentʼs commitment to delivering on the environmental challenges we face. It will be a further step towards putting yet more substance behind our green credentials”.

Speaking about the cross-sectoral approach, Minister Murphy commented: “this is an example of all stakeholders - public and private - coming together with a unified approach, using their considerable expertise and resources to address the complex, cross-cutting challenge of protecting our water bodies on which we all depend.”

Through a commitment from both Departments and support by industry, the 30 Advisors will work within a unified partnership structure which encompasses Teagasc, the Co-ops and LAWCO - the local authorities Water and Communities Office. The new Sustainability Advisors will proactively advise and work with farmers to protect and improve water quality. The Programme will draw on the experience and resources of key sectoral and industry stakeholders including the two Departments, the local authorities, the Dairy Co-ops, Teagasc, Bord Bia and the farm organisations.

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Welcoming the Programme, the Minister Creed said “This Programme shows that the ongoing development of the agricultural sector, which is critically important to rural communities, and enhanced environmental outcomes can be achieved concurrentlyʼ. The Programme supports the goals of the Food Wise 2025 strategy, facilitating increased productivity hand-in-hand with a more sustainable sector.

This sustainability and efficiency will be achieved through improved nutrient management with more targeted use of fertiliser, better farmyard practice, more widespread use of sustainability approaches developed by Teagasc and the development of new approaches in critical source areas.

The Programme directly addresses these challenges and will be a key measure in the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Governmentʼs final River Basin Management Plan.

Under the Programme, the new team will promote onfarm sustainability best practice to all farmers. In addition, local authorities - with the technical support of the Environmental Protection Agency - will identify risk areas at local level. Teagasc and the Co-ops, working with the farm organisations at local level, will then provide advice and support to farmers in managing on-farm risks. The Co-ops will support sustainability best practice through their structures, promoting best farm practice and nutrient management processes across all their suppliers.

The Programme has the potential to strengthen delivery of Irelandʼs obligations under the Water Framework Directive. It is part of a new approach to River Basin Management Planning for the 2018 – 2021 cycle. This new approach includes the development of a much-strengthened evidence base to understand the full range of pressures affecting water quality and the development of the programmes of measures needed to deliver improvements. Over time, the Programme will also address on-farm climate change and biodiversity strategies.

According to Dairy Industry Ireland Chairperson, Jim Woulfe, “Irelandʼs grass-fed dairy production has an excellent reputation worldwide. Maintaining and strengthening that reputation in the years ahead is imperative, especially in light of post-quota dairy expansion and for the 18,000 dairy-farming families whose livelihoods depend on milk production improved sustainability performance is key to this.ʼ Professor Gerry Boyle of Teagasc commented that “the objective of this new approach is to encourage and support behavioural change, facilitate knowledge transfer and achieve better on-farm environmental The Programme will be jointly funded by both outcomes. These features are regarded as Departments, Teagasc, local authorities and the Dairy cornerstones of the drive towards better farming Co-ops on a trial basis for four years to 2021. practices.”

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The Management team at MOTORWAYCARE led by J.J. Doherty, founder of HOLGATE, which since its inception has placed almost 2 million metres of safety, parapet and noise barrier product on the Irish motorway network alone, together with their vast knowledge and experience have devised a concept, providing a three-sixty service for all essential motorway requirements.

Our vision always is to leverage our knowledge and build on our experience creating a comprehensive and competitive business, also ensuring that the team at MOTORWAYCARE goes not just one, but many steps further to provide both product, service, knowledge, and training to their partners, suppliers and contractors alike.

MOTORWAYCARE is an enhanced service which includes the provision of training and full technical assistance that enables contractors and motorway maintenance providers the opportunity to place all essential products on to the motorway network from their own resources. Recognising that we are now living in an era where we need to be "better, cheaper & faster", MOTORWAYCARE is specifically tailored to provide all product and services in line with these requirements.

Go to WWW.MOTORWAYCARE.COM and begin the journey to your essential motorway provider.

EMS Environmental Monitoring Systems Limited EPA choose Palas FIDAS 200 particulate monitor for the National Air Quality Network The Palas FIDAS 200 particulate monitor has been chosen by the Irish EPA as the preferred monitor for inclusion in the new Air Quality Network.

Up to 44 units will be installed over the next few years and will provide real time measurements of PM-10,PM 2.5 and the Palas FIDAS 200 can also measure PM-1.

As well as supplying the units Dublin based EMS Environmental Monitoring Systems Limited will offer a full after sales support.

“The Palas FIDAS 200 provides a wealth of real time information that will allow the Irish EPA to report accurate and reliable data across the complete network” said Chris Searles of EMS Environmental Monitoring Systems Limited.

EMS Environmental Monitoring Systems Limited, Unit 40 Stadium Business Park, Ballycoolin Road Dublin 11, Tel: +353-1-8853954 • Fax: +353-1-8853959 • Email: chris@emsys.ie • Website: www.emsys.ie

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PRODUCT PRODUCTinfo info

JFC is a specialist manufacturer of plastic drainage and water management solutions for the civil engineering and construction sectors.

Our CorriPipe™ twinwall drainage pipe has been used in numerous large scale projects across Ireland and the United Kingdom. JFC Manufacturing are delighted to have been involved in the M17/M18 Motorway and proudly supplied 550km of JFC CorriDuct™ & 120km of JFC CorriPipe™ twinwall pipe to the scheme.

JFC CorriPipe™ is a twinwall drainage pipe made from HDPE plastic and is manufactured by twin extrusion process in which the two layers are simultaneously extruded one inside the other and heat welded together in one continuous process.

The outer wall is corrugated providing excellent structural strength which reduces the possibility of on-site damage. The inner wall has a smooth seamless finish to assist hydraulic flow. It is available perforated, unperforated and half perforated in the following sizes 110, 150, 225, 300, 375, 450 & 600mm diameters.

JFC has also further expanded its range of CorriPipe™ products with the introduction of our Large Diameter twinwall CorriPipe™ XL available in 750mm, 900mm and 1050mm sizes.

JFCʼs coloured range of twinwall ducting pipe known as CorriDuct is suitable for the protection of electric, street lighting, fibre optic, motorway and telecommunications cabling and is available in 94, 100 & 150mm diameters.

JFC offer an extensive portfolio of Attenuation & Stormwater Management solutions, ideal for surface water drainage applications including our range of HydroValve flow control devices used to control the flow of stormwater from an attenuation system preventing downstream flooding during periods of heavy rainfall.

JFC Manufacturing has a solid track record of manufacturing innovative, quality products over the last three decades, with sales offices and manufacturing facilities in Ireland, the UK, the Netherlands, and Poland.

Offering expert advice and a comprehensive range of fittings and accessories, JFC is the brand of choice for many leading contractors and project managers.

For more information please contact JFC Civils on 093 24066 w: www.jfccivils.com • e: info@jfccivils.com LAN LOCAL AUTHORITY NEWS

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PRODUCT PRODUCTinfo info

With over 80 yearsʼ experience in the construction industry, Fosroc is a key supplier to major infrastructure projects. Our solutions for highways maintenance, bridge construction and refurbishment, are used on projects throughout the UK and Ireland. Recent projects include the Aberdeen Bypass, Queensferry Crossing and Mersey Gateway, Midland Links and M17 & M18 Gort to Tuam Motorway.

Our involvement in the Gort to Tuam Motorway project was principally with the bridge construction where our general purpose Conbextra GP and HF grouts were used, in addition to Conbextra BB bridge bearing grout. Our civil engineering sealants Thioflex 600 and a large volume of Nitoseal MS600 were also used in the construction which both accommodate continuous and pronounced cyclic movement and high resistance ageing.

Fosroc not only offers high quality products, but can also provide expert technical support, on-site customer service, innovation, and design and specification support. Working together with clients we can develop bespoke solutions for both new build and refurbishment projects.

Our new Highways brochure details the products we can offer which includes bridge bearing and anchoring grouts, bridge deck waterproofing and bridge bearing grouts. Our extensive range of concrete repair materials include our new corrosion inhibitor and dry spray concrete, reinstatement mortars and high flow micro concrete.

To obtain your free copy the Fosroc Highways brochure please email enquiryireland@fosroc.com Visit our Website: www.fosroc.com

Supplying Components for the M17-M18 Precast Concrete components for Civil Engineering and Drainage projects have been amongst Killeshalʼs core products since the 1960s and Killeshal have previously supplied numerous infrastructure projects throughout Ireland. That experience made Killeshal a logical choice in sourcing materials for the new M17 Motorway between Gort and Tuam.

Killeshalʼs strength as a manufacturer with a long history and a wide range of products came to the fore in their ability to supply everything from Precast Kerbs and Junction Boxes to Paving Flags and even Grass Blocks for eco-friendly hard standing. In fact, we supplied three different construction companies on the project, RoadBridge, John Sisk and Lagan Construction.

Killeshal... Trusted since 1969 Killeshal have continuously invested in being the market leader in their category, with all supports and certifications in place, and itʼs a strategy that has proven successful for the company across their product ranges. Their road products are approved for use on numerous TII projects, fencing products by the Department of Agriculture, and they are now Irelandʼs leading manufacturer of structural reinforced concrete lintels and beams.

With a massive range of products, manufactured in house and sourced from the best international suppliers, Killeshal should be your supplier of choice.

Civil & Drainage Products:

• Kerbs • Service Boxes • Steel and Concrete Bollards • Traffic Calming

• Gullies • Cast Iron Lids • Line Drainage • Concrete Ducts

Web: www.killeshal.com - Phone: +353 (0)57 93 53018 - email: sales@killeshal.com LAN LOCAL AUTHORITY NEWS

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/i \ 00 44 1 793 317470 7iL\ www.rospa.com/playsafety * >ÞÃ>viÌÞÊ Ì`Ê ÃÊ Vi Ãi`ÊLÞÊRoSPAÊÌ ÊÌÀ>`iÊ>ÃÊRoSPA Playsafety.

SHELTERS

Safety Training and Consultancy and Workplace Ergonomic Design Risk Assessment & PSDP Training

www.LCE.ie Nationwide service T: 051 364344 • E: info@LCE.ie Hach instruments bring clarity to water management with: Simplicity of operation that consistently delivers accurate results • Simplicity of operation that consistently delivers accurate results • Real-time data for reacting quickly to process changes • Networking capability that automatically collects laboratory and process results • Lab and online synchronization for confidence that process results align with regulatory-mandated values

Hach Ireland Unit 1 Chestnut Road, Western Industrial Estate D12 XAH3 Ireland T: 01 4602522 E: eamonn.rellis@hach.com

AM Environmental: Home Heating Oil Spills Clean-up Specialists Environmental Consulting and Contracting An independent Irish company specialising in domestic and commercial oils spills as with restoration of property damage. We are one of Irelands leading home heating oil spill remediation (clean up) specialists.

AM Environmental has experienced staff with 1,000ʼs of successful home heating oil spills of kerosene, diesel and hydrocarbon fuel clean upʼs complete across Ireland.

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Bicycle Shelters & Stands Bus Shelters Kiosks

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CHEMICAL STORAGE

We provide a full range of consultancy and contracting services, from consultancy, site investigations, remediation design, implementation and project management.

We pride ourselves with a high quality service along with a cost efficient approach.

Our clients include insurance companies, property owners, loss adjusters, loss assessors, petroleum distributers and regulatory authorities.

Nationwide 24 hour response Phone our Head office on (0) 61 502095 24 hr. Contact 087 2654081 Email: info@amenvironmental.ie Office locations in Limerick, Kerry, Cork, Dublin.

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BUNDS

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CHEMICAL STORES

Ph: 061 225005 sales@safetystorage.ie www.safetystorage.ie

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