asked the Minister for Local Government if he is aware of concern at the escalating rate of pollution in the River Suir, County Tipperary; and if he has any proposals for treatment of the river.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - County Tipperary River Pollution.
88.
The Deputy will appreciate that control of water pollution in their areas is a matter for the local authorities. I am of course concerned to ensure that steps are taken without delay to abate any existing water pollution and I have requested local authorities to establish the cause of such pollution and initiate appropriate remedial measures as soon as possible.
I may add that the latest comprehensive information I have on the condition of the River Suir is contained in the national survey of Irish rivers, which was carried out by An Foras Forbartha in 1971, and which indicated that serious degradation of water quality in the river was limited to a section below Thurles.
Could the Minister please repeat the opening sentence of his reply?
I stated:
The Deputy will appreciate that control of water pollution in their areas is a matter for the local authorities. I am of course concerned to ensure that steps are taken without delay to abate any existing water pollution and I have requested local authorities to establish the cause of such pollution and initiate appropriate remedial meassures as soon as possible.
I am pleased to hear that. However, would the Minister accept that very often while local authorities may or may not have adequate power to do certain things, particularly in regard to pollution, the difficulty is to get them to do them? Would he undertake some activity in this area in order to spur on the local authorities to be more positive in this matter of water pollution? I am aware of a particular case where the pollution is about to occur. Everybody knows the cause of the imminent pollution and it is impossible to get the local authorities to do anything about it.
The question was specific and I could not go into detail. I have called together all the bodies interested in preventing water pollution and I am in the course of setting up a national body which will monitor and help to suggest ways of preventing water pollution. Indeed a number of things have been done as a result of that meeting, which has so far produced reasonable results. I hope to have the body which will be able to control water pollution bodies set up soon because at the present time there are a number of bodies throughout the country working on water pollution. They are all working on water pollution in their own areas. My idea was to get them all to work together. This has proved to be successful and I hope before the summer to have something definite on it.
Which summer?
Would the Minister agree with me that water pollution is something like sin? In theory we are all against it but the thing is to stamp it out and to get anything concrete done about it. I am afraid there is a good deal of lip service on the part of local authorities and others.
I am afraid the Deputy is now getting into a discussion on this question.
I can assure Deputy Haughey that everything that can be done is being done.
Would the Minister be concerned with this aspect of the matter? I understand that in Britain the matter is dealt with on the basis of river by river, that a board is set up for each river and that the pollution measures are initiated by those boards in relation to each waterway.
The Deputy is completely widening the scope of the question.
It seems to me that here the matter is left to local authorities over a general area. Perhaps a change of emphasis of that sort might give results.
That was the situation but I think we are changing it. All aspects, including the one Deputy Haughey has referred to, are being taken into consideration. I think he will find that a satisfactory way of dealing with them is being introduced.