About the Drainage Council
The Drainage Council is an independent advisory body with 18 members appointed to oversee the programme of publicy funded drainage and flood defences in Northern Ireland.
Constitution of the Council
The Council is made up of 10 District Councillors, a Drainage Specialist, representatives from Conservation, Fisheries, Agriculture, Industry, Tourism and DOE Planning Service, and the Chief Executive of the Rivers Agency. Members are appointed for a 4-year term and appointments are made in accordance with the principles of the Commissioner for Public Appointments.
Statutory Duty of the Council
The Drainage (Northern Ireland) Order 1973 Part II outlines the statutory functions of the Drainage Council. As part of this the Drainage Council has a statutory duty to "have regard to the uniform treatment of drainage throughout Northern Ireland" when determining matters.