Eoin Ryan
Question:2 Mr. E. Ryan asked the Minister for the Environment the plans, if any, he has to address public concerns about the environmental quality of our waterways. [10109/95]
Ceisteanna — Questions. Oral Answers. - Water Quality.
Michael Smith
Question:9 Mr. M. Smith asked the Minister for the Environment if his attention has been drawn to the deterioration in the quality of water in many of our lakes and the consequential effect on fishing and fishing stocks; and his views in relation to the suspension of the control of farmyard pollution schemes. [9152/95]
Hugh Byrne
Question:81 Mr. H. Byrne asked the Minister for the Environment if he will give figures on the extent of moderately and severely polluted rivers and waterways under the care of local authorities; the changing extent of the problem over the last number of years; and the comprehensive approach, if any, he proposes to deal with the problem. [7778/95]
Eoin Ryan
Question:96 Mr. E. Ryan asked the Minister for the Environment the figures in tabular form for river pollution under the categories unpolluted, slightly polluted, moderately polluted and seriously polluted; the lengths of river affected by region for the past ten years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7849/95]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 2, 9, 81 and 96 together.
The Government is firmly committed to reversing trends towards poorer water quality in some of our important rivers and lakes. The policy agreement, A Government of Renewal, undertook to tackle all sources of pollution of these important natural resources.
Pending the publication of the Environmental Protection Agency Report for the period 1991 to 1994 this autumn, the latest national overview of water quality in Ireland is "Water Quality in Ireland, 1987-1990", published by the Environmental Research Unit in 1992. This report reviews data generated mainly by local authorities and the ERU and, inter alia, gives details of the extent of the pollution of surface waters and the trends, both long term and more recent. A copy of this report is available in the Oireachtas Library.
The ERU report shows that the bulk of Irish inland waters remain unpolluted and suitable for the most sensitive uses such as game fishing, bathing and drinking. Serious pollution from industrial and other sources has decreased significantly over the past 20 years and now affects only 1 per cent of waters surveyed. Moderate pollution — mainly from eutrophication — has however increased and affects nearly 10 per cent of river channel.
Control of water pollution is primarily a matter for the local authorities, using the comprehensive pollution control regime provided for in the Local Government (Water Pollution) Acts, 1977 and 1990. My Department provides considerable investment funds to local authorities, with EU support, to deal with polluting inputs from urban waste water discharges. The Operational Programme on Environmental Services 1994-99 envisages expenditure of the order of £600 million during that period on water and sewerage schemes, the bulk of which will be spent on sewage treatment.
The decline in water quality has occured over a long period of time and it will take some time to reverse the deterioration. In addition to the measures already in place, I will be promoting an innovative approach to water quality management of selected lake catchments. This will focus on the important environmental and economic resources represented by these lakes and on the sustainable management of these resources. I intend to promote this approach by pilot projects at regional level.
I should mention as a positive development that the number of fish kills recorded fell to 31 in 1994 — the lowest since detailed records were compiled in 1983. I will appeal again to all involved in agriculture and the food industry to intensify their efforts and precautions so that fish kills and other accidental pollution of our rivers are minimised during the coming vulnerable summer months.
While the Minister says that water quality has improved, Trevor Champ of the Central Fisheries Board says there has been a general deterioration in water quality and fish stocks, especially in the midlands, and that board is concerned about how matters are developing. As agriculture is the largest polluter of our rivers, local authorities are next and industry a long way down the list — even though that is not the general perception — will the Minister agree that the decision of his colleague, the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry, Deputy Yates, to get rid of the CFP scheme is contrary to what the Minister is trying to achieve? Will he agree that the Minister, Deputy Yates, is taking a different direction from that being taken by the Minister's Department?
Let us not charge the Minister with responsibilities that are clearly not his.
Regarding the latter part of the Deputy's question, a specific number of questions have been tabled on the farm scheme, the first of which is Question No. 7. In deference to Deputies who tabled questions, I will defer comments on that point until we come to deal with those questions.
Let us not encroach upon those questions now.
Regarding the specific point of water quality, I am determined to ensure we have the tightest possible regime of water management and water quality. We do not need to overstate the case. I have given the latest empirical data available and I am not complacent simply because 1 per cent is a low figure in comparison with any other European figure. We can and must do better, but we should not overstate the case. The Environmental Protection Agency report is due to be published later this year, but the most recent data available on 13,000 kilometers of river channel surveyed reveals that 77.5 per cent is unpolluted, 12 per cent is slightly polluted, 9.5 per cent moderately polluted and 1 per cent seriously polluted. If required, I will give the Deputy a breakdown of the sources of each of those forms of pollution. We have a significant investment programme in our local authorities for dealing with sewage treatment to ensure that best efforts are made to reach the high European standards as quickly as possible.
Unfortunately, yesterday there was a fish kill in the Shournagh River, a tributary of the Lee and it is very early for such a fish kill.
Along seven miles of that river.
Will the Minister agree that one of the reasons we have not had a large number of fish kills is because there has not been a dry summer for a long time? I would be greateful if he would supply a breakdown of the statistics he quoted. Recent tests carried out and reported in a newspaper indicate that pollution of rivers is 110 times above the accepted guidelines in Kilkenny, 85 times in Tipperary and 65 times in County Meath. I accept that the figures the Minister quoted read well, but in certain areas this is a serious problem. A good deal of the pollution emanates from agriculture and the Government is approaching the problem from two different directions.
I will be happy to answer those specific questions when we come to deal with them. I was alarmed by the report to which the Deputy referred because it is not good data. The research was carried out on small areas. I gave an interview to the journalist concerned. He referred to the pollution emanating from five or six houses in my constituency and extrapolated that was the norm for a county. Even under the waste water directives we will not be required to provide tertiary treatment for every household. It is a gross error to promote that type of treatment as gospel. We have a very high standard of water management and water quality, the envy of many of our European colleagues. I know my predecessors in the Deputy's party will attest to that. We are not complacent. We need to do better. Our investment programme of £1.2 billion between now and the year 2005 will ensure that the best possible precautionary principles are used to minimise any other pollution. However, we are depending on goodwill and vigilance on the part of every user of the natural environment, particularly farmers, to ensure that accidents such as the one yesterday to which the Deputy referred, a cause of deep concern to all of us, do not recur during the summer months.