§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (Ian Pearson)The Rivers Agency is an Executive Agency of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development for Northern Ireland. It acts on behalf of the Department as the statutory drainage and flood defence authority for Northern Ireland
I have set the following key targets for the Agency for the 2004–05 business year:
Urban flood defences
To construct or refurbish 612 metres of urban flood defences.
Drainage infrastructure
To accommodate increased storm run-off from 91 hectares of development land.
To replace/refurbish 653 metres of dangerous culverts.
Maintenance watercourses
To complete identified maintenance works on 1235 of the 1585 designated open watercourses included in the Notice of Annual Maintenance as part of a six-year scheduled maintenance programme.
Replies to written enquiries
To issue substantive replies to 80 per cent. of written enquiries within 15 working days of receipt.
Schedule 6 applications
To respond to 98 per cent. of Schedule 6 applications within three months.