Vol. 504 No. 2
247 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government the extent, if any, to which his Department monitors incidents of pollution of streams, rivers or other water courses; if information relative to these matters is relayed to his Department by another body or bodies under his aegis or otherwise; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11725/99]
Statutory responsibility for water management and protection, including responsibility for monitoring water quality, rests primarily with local authorities. The Environmental Protection Agency is also responsible in so far as activities licensable by the agency are concerned and as part of its overall responsibility for the preparation and implementation of environmental monitoring programmes and the establishment and maintenance of databases of information related to the environment. The functions of the EPA in this regard include supervision of the performance of statutory environmental functions by local authorities. Information in relation to inci dents of water pollution which involve significant fish kills is compiled by regional fisheries boards and the fisheries research centre of the Marine Institute.
Information is provided to my Department by local authorities in relation to their activities under the Local Government (Water Pollution) Acts. The most recent data are published in environment bulletin issues 40 and 41 which are available in the Oireachtas Library. The most recent national overview of water quality in Ireland is provided in the EPA report Water Quality in Ireland 1991-1994, a copy of which is available in the Oireachtas Library. I understand that data in relation to the years 1995-97 will be published by the EPA this month.
My Department does not carry on any sampling, testing or monitoring activities in relation to water quality and does not compile information on a systematic basis in relation to water pollution incidents. From time to time my Department may, however, request reports from local authorities in relation to particular incidents of water pollution.
