Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 14 Jul 1982

Vol. 337 No. 10

Written Answers. - Water Pollution Act Licences.

518.

Dr. O'Hanlon

asked the Minister for the Environment (a) the number of licences issued by each local authority for the discharge of trade and sewage effluent under the Water Pollution Act, 1977 (sections 4 and 16) for each year since 1977; and (b) which local authorities have made water quality plans.

Minister for the Environment (Mr. Raphael Burke)

Following is the information:—

(a)Number of licences issued by each local authority for the discharge of trade and sewage effluent under sections 4 and 16 of the Local Government (Water Pollution) Act, 1977.

Local Authority	Discharges to waters (Section 4)	Discharges to sewers (Section 16)
Licences issued	Licences issued
1979	1980	1981	1979	1980	1981
County Councils
Carlow	Nil	Nil	5	Nil	Nil	Nil
Cavan	Nil	11	7	Nil	Nil	Nil
Clare	Nil	Nil	21	Nil	Nil	Nil
Cork	Nil	85	61	Nil	1	11
Donegal	Nil	2	28	Nil	14	48
Dublin	Nil	1	1	Nil	Nil	23
Galway	4	19	24	Nil	17	4
Kerry	Nil	18	19	Nil	2	19
Kildare	3	Nil	Nil	Nil	Nil	Nil
Kilkenny	Nil	Nil	9	Nil	Nil	1
Laois	Nil	1	2	Nil	Nil	13
Leitrim	Nil	Nil	Nil	Nil	Nil	Nil
Limerick	2	54	Nil	Nil	Nil	Nil
Longford	Nil	Nil	Nil	Nil	Nil	Nil
Louth	Nil	Nil	Nil	Nil	Nil	Nil
Mayo	2	3	1	Nil	3	Nil
Meath	1	3	4	Nil	Nil	Nil
Monaghan	1	Nil	1	Nil	Nil	Nil
Offaly	Nil	4	5	Nil	Nil	1
Roscommon	Nil	Nil	4	Nil	Nil	4
Sligo	Nil	10	Nil	Nil	Nil	Nil
Tipperary (N.R.)	Nil	2	2	Nil	Nil	1
Tipperary (S.R.)	Nil	34	6	2	8	3
Waterford	Nil	5	Nil	Nil	10	Nil
Westmeath	Nil	Nil	6	Nil	Nil	7
Wexford	1	Nil	11	4	Nil	4
Wicklow	Nil	Nil	Nil	Nil	Nil	Nil
County Borough Councils
Cork	Nil	Nil	3	Nil	Nil	11
Dublin	Nil	3	Nil	Nil	Nil	Nil
Limerick	Nil	Nil	Nil	Nil	Nil	5
Waterford	Nil	1	2	Nil	2	2
Urban District Councils
Bray					3	Nil
Bundoran					Nil	5
Cavan					Nil	1
Mallow					Nil	1
Monaghan					1	Nil
Totals	14	256	221	6	61	164

The main control functions under the Act including the licensing of discharges to waters are vested in county councils, county borough corporations and the Corporation of Dún Laoghaire. Urban authorities as sanitary authorities are, however, responsible for licensing of discharges to sewers in their areas: only the urban authorities listed have issued such licences at this stage.

(b) Water Quality Management Plans

No local authority has yet made a water quality management plan. Draft plans have, however, been prepared by An Foras Forbartha in respect of the Rivers Suir, Nore, Barrow, Slaney and the Shannon estuary for the relevant local authorities in the catchment areas.