This issue is of great concern to many people in the Killarney region, in addition to those both here and abroad who are proud of the national park at Killarney. It is not just a park of national importance but is also a UN biosphere reserve of international renown. The State must bear responsibility for, and exercise due care and protection of, such a valuable reserve. That strong concern about such a national reserve has prompted me to raise the matter of works that were carried out at the park and which are reportedly not in keeping with the protection that should be afforded to the park.
In July this year, large construction works were carried out in Killarney National Park, consisting of a dam on the Folly Stream to direct the stream through the Reen wet woodland, the construction of an almost 7-acre wetland in the bog field in Reen, and the construction of three lagoons in the Muckross estate. These works were carried out by Kerry County Council in conjunction with Dúchas. I am aware of the county council's strong record of environmental protection and conservation, and it normally exercises its duties with care and caution. After all, the protection and conservation of such a valuable reserve is a major responsibility and demands additional duties and attention. County Kerry is the envy of many people because it contains such a major reserve of national importance.
Dúchas is the heritage service charged with guarding national parks and protecting wildlife. As I understand it, a wetland is a natural method of treating waste water. I acknowledge that it has some value in specific locations, but not – as the Minister herself informed me in a written reply – as an addition to a major sewerage treatment system. The Killarney plant has a good record in treating effluent. The Minister has said the works were constructed to improve the quality of treated water, but can she say what research has been carried out on such a provision? Does the Minister realise that such a system might only reduce the phosphate discharge by as little as 50%?
The Minister has also stated that the wetland will also act as a safety buffer if, for any reason, the treatment plant does not work properly. If that happens, however, the wetland will merely act as a cess-pit and not as a barrier in treating effluent. If it was so important to reduce further the level of effluent going into the lake, why not just improve or add on to the existing facilities with a more reliable scientific approach, such as activated carbon or even straw? It is wrong to provide such a large acreage of wetland in such an environmentally sensitive area. The Minister, who is the guardian and protector of our natural heritage, must account fully for what has happened in Killarney National Park.
The Lough Leane working group was set up to examine all discharges into the lake, but was it consulted about these works? The works are said to have been provided to reduce the amount of nutrients going into the lake. The reserve is a candidate for the status of special area of conservation. The Minister has informed me that Dúchas was consulted about the works and carried out an assessment. An ecologist within Dúchas was satisfied that the project would have a positive impact and no significant adverse effects. Will the Minister tell me who consulted Dúchas and was a report on the proposed works produced by this ecologist, including a scientific assessment of the works? What other alternatives were assessed?
Planning permission was never sought for the works, but it should have been. I acknowledge that when the matter was raised with Kerry County Council the works were suspended. The county council has now requested planning per mission for the works. The fact remains, however, that these works were carried out with no consideration of the environmentally sensitive nature of the area. I hope the Minister will be able to answer the questions I have raised, which are in response to her written reply yesterday. She must outline what protection should be afforded to a candidate for special area of conservation status. Dúchas is fully aware of its obligations to protect this nature reserve of international importance, but is the State capable of protecting such an area?
Minister for Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands (Miss de Valera): A multi-agency committee involving Dúchas, the heritage service of my Department, and Kerry County Council among others has been seeking methods of reducing the amount of nutrients discharged into the lakes of Killarney. The measures undertaken in Killarney National Park at Reen and Muckcross were carried out in this context of reducing nutrient input and generally improving the favourable conservation status of the candidate special area of conservation through the enhanced treatment of waste water flowing into the lakes from the waste water treatment plants in Killarney National Park. I stress that the waste water flowing from the treatment plants is already subject to tertiary treatment. The new measures are aimed at further polishing of the treated waste water to reduce nutrient inputs into Lough Leane.
As part of this initiative, Kerry County Council became interested in the use of integrated constructed wetlands, ICWs, and examined their use in a Dúchas initiative in the Anne Valley, County Waterford. The use of an integrated system has particular merit where there are many habitats and species interacting in close proximity. This has been an important consideration in selecting sites for ICWs and designing their form.
Integrated constructed wetlands process water using natural biological processes. ICWs are generally shallow water basins planted with appropriate emergent plant species. They provide the oxygen required by aerobic bacteria and naturally remove excess nutrients from waste water. They are an environmentally sustainable waste management solution which works in harmony with natural ecological processes.
The treated waste water from the Killarney town and Muckross sewage treatment plants is discharged into Lough Leane in compliance with the appropriate legislation. Discharges are already at standards of best practice having already had tertiary treatment. To improve further the quality of the treated waste water, Kerry County Council and Dúchas officials decided to create ICWs which will further clean the waste before discharge into the lakes. ICWs can also act as a safety buffer if, for any reason, the treatment plants should fail to work properly.
Kerry County Council is responsible for the construction of the ICW in the bog field at Reen, whereas the construction of the ICW at Muckross is being undertaken by Dúchas. The ICWs are within a candidate special area of conservation. One of the Dúchas officers involved in the project is a qualified ecologist holding a PhD in natural sciences. He carried out an appropriate assessment, as required by the habitats directive, and is satisfied that the projects will have a positive impact and no significant adverse impact on the candidate SAC. In addition to the immediate benefits the constructed wetlands will have for the natural heritage within Killarney National Park, they will also serve as an example of best practice in waste water and habitat management for landowners and local authorities elsewhere.
Kerry County Council and Dúchas officials involved in the project were of the opinion that formal planning approval was not required because of the nature and scope of the works involved. This opinion was subsequently questioned by some members of the public, and Kerry County Council and Dúchas officials decided to suspend operations at the ICWs and review the matter. Rather than enter into a debate and to remove any possible doubt on this question, Dúchas will shortly submit a planning application in respect of the ICWs at Muckross. As part of the planning application, Dúchas will publish its assessment of the projects and will address all issues raised.
In addition to the ICW at Reen, the Folly Stream, through which the treated water flows into Lough Leane, was dammed to allow the waste water from the Killarney town treatment plant to dissipate through Reen Wood. This was done to slow the rate of flow in the stream which carries the treated water from the treatment plant, thus providing time to allow suspended solids and associated nutrients to precipitate. Dispersing the Folly Stream through the woodland will also achieve a better distribution of the solids and nutrients. The damming measure will improve the hydrology of the woodland and help to improve the wet wood conditions that facilitate the plant and animal communities associated with such conditions.
The purpose of these works was to intercept and further clean the waste water flowing from the treatment plants to Lough Leane. This would significantly enhance its quality and particularly improve aquatic conditions in the lake generally and at Ross Bay specifically. The use of ICWs will not have a significant negative impact on the SAC. It will enhance the favour able conservation status of the SAC while addressing the immediate concern for Lough Leane's water quality.
Dúchas officials have publicly offered to make themselves available to meet any concerned parties. A local group, the Killarney Nature Conservation Group, has asked for a meeting to discuss this matter. A senior official of my Department has offered to meet them early next week.
The Dáil adjourned at 9.15 p.m. until 10.30 a.m. on Thursday, 19 October 2000.