Seanad Éireann debate -
Friday, 6 Jul 2001

Vol. 167 No. 13

Water Quality: Statements.

Minister of State at the Department of the Environment and Local Government (Mr. D. Wallace)

I am glad to have this opportunity to comment on water quality. I propose to outline the measures already in place, and those being developed, to protect and improve water quality nationally. I am confident Members will agree these measures are appropriate and deserve the full support of the House.

Two major assessments of environmental quality became available last year, namely, the EPA millennium report on the state of the environment and the OECD environmental performance review of Ireland, 2000. Both reports concluded that Ireland's environmental quality remains relatively good in comparison with most European countries. For example, compared with other EU waters, Irish waters are generally in good condition, with two thirds of the length of rivers being unpolluted. However, the situation has been deteriorating since the 1970s and by 1997 one third of our river length was affected by eutrophication – over-enrichment – mainly caused by excessive inputs of nutrients from various sources.

Since 1997 my Department has been pursuing a comprehensive, integrated strategy to tackle all sources of eutrophication. Major catchment based projects for the establishment of water quality monitoring and management systems are well under way, or nearing completion, regarding loughs Derg, Ree and Leane and the Boyne, Liffey and Suir rivers. The final report of the project regarding Lough Derg and Lough Ree will be launched next week. Substantial investment of over £160 million is also to be made in sewage infrastructure in these catchments. The strategy is underpinned by water quality regulations which set clear targets for reducing phosphorus levels in rivers and lakes by the end of 2007.

These measure are beginning to show positive results. I am happy to report that recent data suggest the continuing deterioration in water quality may have been halted. Confirmation of this welcome news must await the next comprehensive review of water quality by the EPA due later this year.

However, there is still a major challenge and no room for complacency given that the EPA millennium report indicated that eutrophication in inland waters was, perhaps, our most serious environmental pollution problem. The report also highlighted elevated levels of nitrates in certain waters. There is still a long way to go, therefore, to achieve good quality in all our waters.

I will review the interim targets set by the phosphorus regulations for 2007 with a view to establishing more stringent long-term targets. Agriculture has been identified as the largest single contributor to water pollution, accounting for 73% and 82% of total inputs of phosphorus and nitrogen, respectively. Significant inputs also arise from sewage discharges and industry.

The Water Quality (Dangerous Substances) Regulations, 2001, which I introduced in January 2001, prescribe water quality standards in respect of 14 dangerous substances, including certain pesticides, solvents and metals. These regulations have come into operation and complement the 1998 phosphorus regulations.

My Department is expanding the catchment-based approach by promoting the establishment by local authorities of river basin management projects to address water management in all inland and coastal waters, including ground water and all sources of water pollution. Substantial funding is being assigned by my Department to support local authority expenditure on river basin management projects. A river basin management project for the south-east has been approved in principle and I expect that similar projects to address inland and coastal waters in all other areas will be approved during the current year.

This comprehensive approach is being supported by my Department's major investment programme in sewerage infrastructure facilities throughout the country. The National Development Plan 2000-2006 provides for capital investment of almost £3 billion, the major portion of which will be devoted to waste water infrastructure. This will largely complete Ireland's implementation of the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive. Large-scale projects are being completed or advanced in major cities and towns, including Dublin, Cork, Drogheda, Dundalk, Galway, Limerick and Waterford. The investment programme places particular emphasis on the provision of nutrient reduction facilities where these are required.

I made regulations in June to designate 30 additional water bodies as sensitive areas for the purposes of urban waste water treatment. Tertiary treatment will be provided for all discharges into these waters from large waste water treatment plants and will provide for removal of phosphorus or nitrogen as appropriate.

The Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development has undertaken substantial initiatives to tackle phosphorus inputs from agriculture, including the rural environment protection scheme and the farm waste management scheme. The Department of Agriculture, Food and Rural Development is currently developing a code of good farming practice and payments under agri-assistance schemes will be conditional on compliance with the code.

To reduce phosphorus inputs from domestic sewage, my Department concluded a voluntary agreement with the Irish Cosmetics and Detergents Association, which effectively provides for a phase-out of phosphorus-based laundry detergents by members of the association. The agreement sets phase-out targets of 55% by end June 2000, 90% by end 2001 and 95% by end 2002. I am glad to report that these targets are being met or exceeded. I pay tribute to the association for this very positive and responsible contribution to our efforts to protect water quality.

My Department is also putting in place a framework for action programmes in areas where the levels of nitrates in ground water are approaching or exceeding the limits set by European legislation. As I indicated in a public statement in July 2000, the affected waters are located in counties Carlow, Cork, Kerry, Louth and Waterford. Work is under way on the identification of the catchments related to these waters and, on its completion, I will formally designate the appropriate areas as nitrate vulnerable zones – NVZs. The voluntary code of good agricultural practice to protect waters from pollution by nitrates, the "blue book", issued in 1996, will become mandatory in an NVZ. A primary consideration will be the management of manures and slurries.

There has been a steady improvement in Irish bathing water quality throughout the 1990s and a recent report of the European Commission indi cates that the results for monitoring of bathing water quality in Ireland in 2000 are among the best in Europe. The compliance rate for mandatory values for bathing water quality in 2000 was 98% in coastal zones and 100% in freshwater zones.

The most recent EPA report on the quality of drinking water confirms the fundamentally good quality of drinking water in public supplies. There are, however, difficulties with the quality of privately owned group water schemes, which supply 50,000 rural households, or 5% of households nationally. These difficulties are being comprehensively addressed under the rural water programme for which investment of £420 million is provided under the national development plan. Under a revamp of the grant and subsidy schemes, disinfection and filtration equipment now qualifies for 100% capital grants. Capital grants of up to 85% of the cost of the scheme are being provided for the upgrading of distribution systems, provision of source protection measures and the extension of group networks to houses, which are currently dependent on private individual supplies.

Suppliers of drinking water are statutorily required to rectify all deficiencies in drinking water quality within a specified timeframe. Regulations which I made in December 2000 to transpose the EU Directive 98/83/EC on drinking water introduce stricter time limits for compliance and provision for offences and penalties for non-compliant private suppliers. The EPA report has also drawn attention to water quality deficiencies in some of the smaller public schemes. These deficiencies are being addressed by the relevant local authorities and my Department on the basis of assessments of needs and priorities carried out by local authorities.

Most of my comments so far have related to the measures being taken by public authorities for better water management. This might give rise to a misleading impression that the protection of water quality is solely the responsibility of public authorities. This is certainly not the case. I emphasise the basic responsibility that we all carry to protect the environment. Where a person carries on an activity, which involves a risk of polluting waters, that person carries the primary responsibility for ensuring that pollution does not occur. It is an offence under the Water Pollution Acts and other legislation to cause or permit any polluting matter to enter waters. The penalties and liabilities arising from such an offence can be severe.

At this time of the year in particular I appeal to all sections of the community to take the greatest care to protect water quality. Fish stocks are particularly vulnerable to pollution in summer months when water levels are low. Farmers especially should exercise care in slurry spreading and avoid spreading where weather conditions are unsuitable. Dry soil conditions are required to absorb the slurry. Slurry should not be spread near watercourses or in wet conditions or when heavy rain is forecast. Slurry spreading in wet conditions runs completely contrary to good farming practices and creates a high risk of losses to waters and of serious water pollution. All facilities for the storage of waste or silage effluent should be checked and maintained in good condition.

As has been my usual practice, I have also issued a circular letter to local authorities advising them of the need for heightened water quality awareness and for particular vigilance in respect of activities which have potential for increased impact in low water conditions.

I am fully committed to delivering on all the commitments I have outlined and I am confident these initiatives will deliver on their objectives of ensuring good water quality for Ireland.

Ms Cox

I welcome the Minister to the House. I know that he was in the Dáil until just seconds before he came into this House and I appreciate his taking time out on the last day of the session to deal with this issue. When I asked the Leader for a debate on this issue, it was as a result of the crisis in Galway last weekend when we faced the difficulties experienced by all local authorities and everybody involved in the tourism industry, public health industry etc. when a city's public water system becomes contaminated. It brought home to many people how important water quality is to all of us. I did not doubt the Minister was committed to protecting our water quality and I am delighted he has acknowledged that today.

As he stated in his introduction, the OECD report and the EPA millennium report on the state of our water state that Ireland's environmental quality remains relatively good when compared with most other EU countries. That is something we need to protect. This offers a challenge to us and the Minister recognises this challenge. All of us as members of local authorities and as consumers recognise that there is no room for complacency and that is why we are discussing the issue today.

The Minister has given us a very wide-ranging update on all the various issues, and the points I will make are also wide-ranging. I will talk about waste water treatment plants, drinking water, the regulations that may be needed in some areas, the impact of the various problems caused by not having appropriate water quality and the cost savings and value for money that result from a focus on this area.

The 1997 report of the Environmental Protection Agency stated that over 44% of our drinking water was contaminated. The figure for 1998 was 43%. This is a huge public health issue. Every day people throughout the country are drinking water, either from local authority or group water schemes, yet they are not always certain about its quality. It is a concern that we all have. As we witness the move to greater investment in water quality, it is vitally important to ensure the money achieves what is intended.

A recent report entitled, An Irish Water Infrastructure: A National Way Forward, was prepared by Ladige. I have no doubt that this company is probably selling services to the water industry but it gave a fairly clear assessment of the system in place. The report stated:

The fragmented nature of Ireland's infrastructure presents the Department of the Environment, which has prime responsibility for water, with serious challenges in complying with the European Union's regulatory and reporting requirements for water quality. The Department of the Environment should have up-to-the-minute, accurate information relating to water quality, and other parameters, constantly available. The current position hinders effective management and has already resulted in legal action.

The points to be taken from that statement are that, in future, we will need an overall national approach. This will probably mean that savings can be achieved and that we will have a national standard for group or local authority water schemes.

As people become more aware of how water quality impacts upon them, they will become more concerned about the quality of drinking water. I am speaking from the viewpoint of the consumer. Many now purchase bottled water from various companies throughout the country. When I was abroad many years ago I remember laughing because people were drinking bottled water in European countries. I thought it was lovely that we, in Ireland, could drink tap water whenever we wanted. While that is still the case, and I accept that we have a very good water supply, consumers are increasingly choosing to drink bottled water. They are also installing water filtration or purification systems in their homes. This demand has created an industry in itself. The difficulty, however, with any new industry is that it can develop without regulation, a code of practice or any identification of best practice. As with any industry, there will always be cowboys promising the earth and charging a lot of money to install a particular system. Householders who are already vulnerable in that the water supply may not be adequate, may invest a significant amount in a purification system, yet when problems occur the company may not have replacement parts, have no testing service, or may have gone out of business. The Minister of State and his officials should examine this issue to see what needs to be done to introduce standardisation and ensure everyone operating in the industry does so to a uniform standard.

I became aware of this difficulty recently when I was asked to visit a company called Ionics, based in Galway. There are 40 or 50 people employed in the Galway plant and many others are employed throughout the world. The company is facing competition from people who do not measure up to the standards it believes should be set. We should establish the highest standards which, in turn, should be demanded of service providers.

We have the ludicrous situation where there is insufficient drinking water on one of the Aran Islands, although the Minister of State may not be aware of this as it does not come under his direct area of responsibility. In the summer season water is rationed as there is no fresh water source on the island. Rain water is stored in tanks but, unfortunately, due to various issues, water rationing is having a negative impact on the island's ability to attract tourists. Can one imagine having to tell a tourist, booking into a guesthouse, that they cannot take a shower between 8 p.m. and 11 a.m. because there is insufficient water?

The issue was raised with the Minister of State, Deputy Coughlan, on a recent visit to the Aran Islands. I understand she has requested a report on the matter from Galway County Council. I hope we will be in a position to address the issue through Roinn na Gaeltachta, the county council and perhaps the Department of the Environment and Local Government. In this day and age, it is crazy that people on an offshore island cannot have sufficient tap water, particularly when we have so much rain in the west.

On Wednesday, we received a deputation from people who made a round trip of 320 miles from Carraroe to protest about waste water. Fifty of them came by bus from County Galway to demonstrate their concern about the sewerage scheme in Carraroe which is not doing the job it is supposed to. It appears that the local drinking water is now being contaminated by waste water. While the problem is not directly the concern of the Minister, Galway County Council must request priority status for this sewerage scheme. I will see what can be done locally. If we can get it onto the priority list, I will ask the Minister for the Environment and Local Government to see what he can do to ensure the required funding is made available. South Connemara is a famous tourist area. Throughout the summer it welcomes hundreds of youngsters who stay for two or three weeks to learn or improve their Irish. It is not good enough, however, if people who visit such areas cannot enjoy the same water quality as in other areas, including, Dublin, Cork and Limerick.

I acknowledge the huge investment of £3 billion being made to improve water supplies under the national development plan. It is equally important, however, to ensure the money we invest in such schemes under the national programme will achieve what we want. The Minister of State has said that we face the challenge of ensuring our water quality is maintained and improved upon. Water quality is essential to the tourism industry and public health. It is important for us to protect the environment for which we have fought for so long.

I thank the Minister of State for attending the House for this debate and hope he will take into account the various points I have made. Perhaps we will be able to revisit this issue in October or early November to see if anything specific can be done through regulation and legislation.

Mr. Moylan

I welcome the Minister of State at the Department of the Environment and Local Government, Deputy Wallace, to the House. I appreciate that he has only just left the Dáil where a very important Bill is being debated.

This matter is of great importance and I compliment the Leader of the House for placing statements on water quality on the Order Paper for today. This matter has been raised a number of times on the Order of Business and it is very disappointing that there is not a queue of Members waiting to speak. We are all aware of the difficulties with water supply and the great work that has been done in our towns and villages through the rural group water schemes. The availability of a high quality water supply is the basic right of every person and household but it does not always happen. I recognise the major improvements and grant aid the Minister of State and his Department have introduced. Grants of 75% are available for small public water schemes. That is excellent and worthwhile. Many important developments are taking place with proposals and planning for group water schemes. Grant aid of £1,600 to supply water to a house, and £1,200 in the case of a farm, is essential in rural areas. We must recognise and commend the Department, the Minister and the Minister of State for this.

In May 1999 funding was made available to local authorities for the take-over of many group schemes that had been in difficulty. Local authorities are now in a position to upgrade these water supplies for houses more than ten years old. We must examine local authorities while they have to look at sewerage schemes – for which the Department has made much funding available – as well as water supplies. There are many problems with small sewerage schemes that are now unable to serve expanding villages and towns. Up to a point, local authorities might have been happy if there was an overflow to an available river but that has to be stopped. In my county we have made great strides in the past five years to ensure that practice has stopped in major problem areas. Coming from the county I do, I recognise the problems on the River Shannon. The Lough Derg report, which the Minister of State says will be out next week, will be vital. Perhaps we will return to a debate or discussion on it. The major financial contribution the Department has made to the schemes in Athlone, Ferbane, Banagher and Clara must be recognised. These towns have tributaries which flow into the Shannon and I hope improvements will be described in the report to which we look forward.

The last report I read on lake water quality was published in 1999. It showed a distinct trend towards slight and moderate pollution. When one sees a trend of increasing pollution the alarm bells must ring. This represented a reversal of a decrease in serious pollution, which had been the trend. This has to be tackled.

The Minister of State mentioned farming. When the local authority nutrient management plans are on stream there will be tremendous improvement. These plans will ensure farming will be carried out to the standard required by the rural environment protection scheme. This will effect great improvements in water quality, particularly where there is extensive dependence on underground water supplies, as is the case for many rural areas and aquifers. We must protect them at all costs, even if to do so causes some pain to certain people. Teagasc and farmers must work together. The spreading of fertiliser and slurry must be looked at and we have to move towards licensing of this regardless of whether we like it. It is like the tagging of sheep. We did not like it but were forced to do it. Those speaking against licensing slurry and fertiliser spreading will have to change their attitude if we are to ensure a quality water supply. The rate of inspection of farmyards and areas where pollution is likely to occur has to be increased at local authority level. When we get too busy with planning, illegal development takes place. Many farmers are doing an excellent job but, as with the problems we had with cattle and sheep, there are always a few who like to bend the rules if they can get away with it. We must clamp down on them.

All local authorities will have to examine the monitoring of water supplies and the volume of quality water being lost through burst mains. We have to detect these leaks and repair them as millions of gallons of quality water are flowing away daily simply because our maintenance is not up to the standard required. We tend to wait until the water flows over ground and down the streets and roads before we take action. It costs money to provide quality water and we must certainly take action.

Something also has to be done about waste from housing and the problem of detergents. There is a huge amount of new housing being built and we must look at the standard of grease traps in these houses. Water and grease are flowing into the system and causing major problems. They should be trapped at source, in the house. There is an onus on the resident to ensure this. We welcome spending under the national development plan of £420 million, a substantial sum which will make a great difference. We look forward to major developments.

We have to recognise the contribution made by the fishing organisations and fishermen in general. They monitor the water supply because they have seen excellent fishing areas disimprove. This has happened because the quality of water has deteriorated. Senator Cox commented on the recent problems in Galway. The same thing could happen in any town or village.

Let us look at the local authority and group water schemes. In many cases there are only part-time caretakers for the schemes. We must consider amalgamating those schemes and appointing full-time caretakers to ensure that if a prob lem arises they are available to sort it out. They can ensure millions of gallons of water are not lost or, on the other hand, that there will not be a major pollution problem. They can monitor the supply and ensure maintenance work is carried out immediately rather than waiting for members of the public to complain to the local radio station or newspapers before action is taken.

I thank the Minister for coming to this important debate. The Department recently announced a water and sewerage services investment programme. I was delighted to read of the major proposals for investment and I look forward to improvements in those services over the next few years. I wish the Minister and the Department well in that regard.

Mr. Costello

I welcome this debate and compliment Senator Cox on seeking it. She had good reasons for doing so. We recently learned about the contamination of the Galway city water supply. It is hugely worrying that an entire city could find itself with a water supply that could be dangerous and to consider how that might have happened. To compound the problem, Galway Corporation is the main culprit. That was not great news but it brings into focus the fragility of the regular supply of good quality water that we take for granted.

Ireland always had a good water supply. There is no reason it should not have an abundant supply of fresh, clean, uncontaminated water. However, hardly a day goes by without a story in the newspapers or in the media about fish kills, leakages into our rivers and lakes, radioactivity along our coast, nitrates, areas that are unsafe for swimming and the fact that blue flags for our beaches are getting fewer. These incidents give rise to considerable concern that we are not doing enough to protect our water supply.

There are numerous culprits who are readily identifiable. In the past a huge amount of factory waste was dumped or allowed to leak into rivers and lakes. There are now more stringent regulations and a substantial amount of legislation has been passed. The rural environment protection scheme in rural areas offers great encouragement to farmers to keep sheep and cattle in during the year, thereby allowing waste to be collected so slurry will not be washed off the land into streams and rivers. Nevertheless, there is still a considerable number of fish kills.

There are different water supply systems in rural and urban areas. Water supply in rural areas is often dependent on group schemes. These are community based schemes which were often introduced on an ad hoc basis without proper monitoring or standards for health and safety. The Minister said a substantial amount of money is being invested in the improvement of group water schemes. However, given that 40% of our drinking water supplies are contaminated, a great deal of work must still be done in that area.

The situation in urban areas is different. One would have thought it would be easier to ensure continuity of uncontaminated supply in urban areas. There are reservoirs with treatment plants and pipelines to bring the water straight to the home. It is subject to constant monitoring and inspection. However, as we saw in Galway city, this supply can also be contaminated. It can be contaminated during the process of channelling the water to the home. In blocks of flats and houses throughout the city, particularly in inner city areas, the water is regularly dirty and discoloured and contains particles of material. While an analysis generally shows it is not dangerous to health, the particles are clearly visible to the eye. That is not attractive or encouraging for the consumer.

A major upgrade of the pipes and the mains in Dublin city is required. The pipes that carry the water are ancient. There was a huge delay by the local authority in accessing European Union funding, which has been available for years to provide the north fringe supply. That is now being carried out.

Connections between houses leave much to be desired. The old half inch pipes connected residential homes. Now, however, one or other of those homes might be changed to private rented accommodation, resulting in an inadequacy of supply. Various residual materials are also building up in the pipes which discolour the water and render it undrinkable.

The alternative is bottled water and we are fast becoming a bottled water society. Forty years ago that would have been unthinkable. Twenty years ago only the most avant garde drank Perrier or Vichy water or its equivalent. Then Ballygowan water arrived on the scene and Ireland soon had a generous supply of indigenous producers of bottled water. That water is expensive. We are given to understand that the quality of the bottled water is unmonitored, is not subject to strict regulations and is no better than the water from the household tap. However, that is the way society is going. We will become like some countries on the Continent and undeveloped countries where the only water that is safe to drink is bottled water. I hate to think a day will come when one will not be able to ask for a glass of water in a public house or restaurant without it being presumed that it must come from a bottle.

The upgrading of our water supplies is a further issue. Dublin Corporation is currently proposing a £60 million upgrade of the Ballymore Eustace scheme which provides 80% of Dublin's water. The proposal is that the work be done by a private company which would part-finance the project in a public private venture with the Government. The running and maintenance would be handed over to the private company. That is totally at variance with the agreements reached by trade unions with the management of Dublin Corporation. It has led, as recently as yesterday, to industrial action outside this House and will lead to further action.

The real concern is that such policies will lead to the privatisation of the water supply and that charges will be introduced for the provision of water to householders. That would be a retrograde step and would lead to major levels of unrest, not just industrial unrest but also unrest in Dublin city. The manner in which the National Development Plan 2000-2006 is providing funds to the various developments needs to be looked at, as does the degree to which privatisation is coming in, and the degree to which this is without consultation. I have no principled objection to a public private partnership in relation to development. However, if it is done contrary to expectations and agreements, and done to suit an agenda that people are not aware of, then we are in a difficult situation.

Substantial work is also taking place on the disposal of sewage and waste water in Dublin city. We are in the happy position that in an estimated two years' time, we will have a blue ribbon for Dublin Bay. The city can expect an uncontaminated sea right up to the Liffey. This was unheard of in the past, but there is about £2 million worth of investment going into waste water treatment and sewage disposal which will result in no further dumping at sea in Dublin Bay. It will be dealt with at the secondary and tertiary treatment plant. That is to be welcomed. If we reach the blue ribbon stage for Dublin Bay, that would be a symbol of success and an achievement to hold up. It would be a marker for other projects and the symbol of quality that we need. It has been the perception that the Liffey and Dublin Bay have been the most contaminated areas in the country.

There are concerns around the country about the quality of water, which is essential to our existence. Good quality is what we seek. We should be the foremost country in the world in ensuring that there is a good quality of water in all areas, whether sea, lakes, rivers or the water that tourists get in their hotel taps. There are few countries where hotel tap water can be drunk. It should be the case in Ireland. Every hotel should be able to put up a sign saying that it is safe to drink our tap water. When that day comes, and when we are able to swim safely in Dublin Bay, we can say that we have got it right.

Mr. D. Wallace

We are heading in that direction.

Mr. Mooney

I welcome the Minister to the House and thank him for outlining in great detail the exemplary record of his Department, and by extension this Government, over the past four years in attacking and addressing complex and difficult environmental problems, as they apply to waste and water management. I felt that one element was missing from Senator Costello's contribution as I tried to establish the thread of his argument. The problems which he mentioned are those which this Government has addressed very effectively, particularly in the Dublin area which has been the subject of severe criticism for the past two decades.

I recall Greenpeace members and other environmental NGO members walking on Dollymount and Sandymount strands in protest at the quality of the water in Dublin Bay. They are not protesting now because there is a general recognition that this Government has pumped a sufficient amount of money into dealing with the problems. However, we are not complacent and the Minister acknowledged that we have some way to go in this regard, but we have come a considerable way. Senator Cox outlined the huge amount of money for the environmental area in the National Development Plan 2000-2006 – some £3 billion, which is not to be sniffed at.

Senator Cox also mentioned bottled water in her excellent contribution. This area is a surprise to many. Some 40 years ago, problems of water quality were not thought about and the issue never impacted on political debate. Water quality and environmental issues were only raised by Bord Fáilte when releasing pretty pictures of our wonderful green and pleasant land, with its beautiful clean waters for anglers and free roads and unspoilt scenery for visitors.

The onward march of progress and prosperity has brought huge benefits since then but there is also a downside. Previous administrations did not address environmental issues as this Government has done, and I am not attempting to score political points by saying that. It is fortunate that the philosophy of the Government when it came into office coincided with massive budget surpluses, which has allowed us not only to benefit from European money but to address the issues with our money also. It is accepted that progress has been made.

I ask the Minister to address an increasingly serious pollution problem in the upper Shannon. The Lough Derg/Lough Ree catchment area has been the subject of emphasis from central and local government in addressing the pollution issue, and also in the injection of significant sums of money in recent years. This has resulted in the happy situation where both lakes will soon be returned to their original pristine condition. I was delighted to read recently that the water quality in Lough Derg has greatly improved.

Ironically, this is partly due to the existence of the zebra mussel. However, there is a downside to the existence of the zebra mussel, and this is evident in the upper Shannon from Rooskey/Lanesborough north to Lough Allen, where I live. The zebra mussel has sadly now been introduced to Lough Allen, a lake which never had a pollution problem. This has come about over the past five years primarily due to the re-opening of the Lough Allen canal which allows navigation into the lake from the Shannon. The lack of proper pumping-out facilities on some boats and the introduction of the mussels, which cling to the bottom of boats, is now a cause of concern.

I have been in receipt of ongoing correspondence from coarse fishing interests in the area of Rooskey and Lanesborough. In that context, I compliment in particular Mr. Alan Forrest of Coarse Fishing Ireland, who has been highlighting this problem and sending missives not only to me but also to the Department of the Environment and Local Government for the past two years pointing out that there is a real pollution problem in the area.

I have seen photographs of white foam, which is high in phosphates and an obvious pollutant, on the River Shannon. The statistics produced over the past five years regarding the decline in fish stocks in the upper Shannon region are frightening. The Minister of State indicated that 73% of water pollution comes from agricultural sources, which is unacceptable. The Government is moving to ensure that action will be taken to address this problem.

The development of services along the shoreline of the upper Shannon in recent years came about as a direct result of the income generated by visiting coarse anglers. When I was a small child living in Drumshanbo, County Leitrim, English anglers used to visit the area on two or three occasions each year to fish what were then well stocked waters. The Shannon was the jewel in the crown at that stage. Lough Allen remains the jewel in the crown in fishing terms and attracts a large number of coarse fishing anglers. However, a serious pollution problem exists in the Longford, Leitrim and the upper Shannon region. I am not sure how this matter can be addressed. It seems there is a need to duplicate what happened in the Lough Ree/Lough Derg area and encourage the local authorities whose areas of remit lie within the Shannon region to come together to address this problem.

The enforcement measures relating to pollution should be more stringent in nature and I agree with what Senator Moylan said about appointing people to monitor the situation. There is a need to make an example of people in legal terms. I accept that a number of high profile court cases have occurred and that corporations have been brought to book. However, I am referring to individuals who are completely unscrupulous in terms of polluting the Shannon and other waterways. These people appear to be able to act with impunity.

I accept it might be difficult, but there is a need to put in place an enforcement section in the Department of the Environment and Local Government similar to that which operates within the Food Safety Authority. Since the relevant legislation was passed in the past 12 months, the FSA has managed to increase significantly its profile and level of activity in restaurants and fast food outlets throughout the country. In recent weeks a number of high profile hotels, restaurants and food outlets have been arbitrarily closed down by inspectors from the Food Safety Authority. For example, inspectors visited the Ryan hotel in Galway and, on entering the kitchen, ordered an immediate shut down of operations. I appreciate that we cannot compare like with like in this regard, but there is a need for the Department of the Environment and Local Government to provide greater resources in the area of enforcement.

The Shannon Fisheries Board, which is involved in enforcement activities to a certain degree, is inadequately resourced in that regard. Perhaps the Department could consider appointing enforcement officers. It may have already done so, but there may not be an adequate number. Anecdotal evidence seems to suggest that those who are polluting our rivers and inland waterways are able to get away with it. I accept that they are operating by stealth and that it is difficult to pinpoint the source of pollution. However, where the source is located, it should not be beyond the capacity of the Department to enforce the relevant legislative provisions.

I feel strongly about this matter, not least because the environmental damage will have implications for future generations. People in the area from which I come rely on niche tourism or economic activities such as coarse angling. The area in question lacks a traditional industrial infrastructure and has no tradition of job creation. The niche activities to which I refer are its lifeblood. It is, therefore, vital that pollution should be completely stamped out, otherwise there will be a loss of jobs and a breakdown in the social and economic fabric of the small towns and villages in the area.

Another matter of importance – in respect of which the Minister of State and the Department have already taken action – is education. The level of activity in primary and secondary levels, where environmental projects are the order of day, is quite impressive. I am aware that the Department is constantly coming up with new ways and means to connect with members of the public and alerting them to the dangers of damaging the environment. A sustained effort should be made in this regard. Education is the key word in terms of making people aware of the damage they are doing.

There is one example of pollution with which everyone will be familiar. On how many occasions when driving in their cars have Members witnessed the driver of the vehicle in front throwing a cigarette butt or an empty cigarette box or bag out of their window? These people have a total disregard for the consequences of their actions. They may argue that they are only disposing of the butt of a cigarette or an empty box, but if one adds together all the empty boxes and cigarette butts, one will be faced with a mountain of rubbish. The ongoing development of our road network has led to evidence of this phenomenon becoming increasingly apparent. If Members have ever been stopped in their cars alongside temporary traffic lights set up to facilitate traffic movement around road resurfacing or widening works, they will have noticed a mountain of rubbish to the right and left of those traffic lights.

It was stated not so long ago that the Irish are a dirty people. This is true to a certain extent because we seem to have a particular disregard for the environment. We act in a way outside our homes that we would not tolerate or accept in those homes. It appears that this is also true in terms of water quality and water management.

I agree with Senator Cox that there is a need to regulate the bottled water industry and the domestic water purification industry. There are unscrupulous companies which may be playing on people's fears about the quality of the domestic water supply. In my opinion there is a need to give careful consideration to this matter. Senator Cox is correct regarding the widespread perception that people are far better off drinking bottled water as opposed to domestic tap water. A recent survey stated baldly that, to a large extent, there is no qualitative difference between bottled water and domestic tap water in Ireland. In other words, one would be better off keeping one's money and drinking water from the tap than buying bottled water.

Despite the difficulties involved, work is being carried out and progress is being achieved in this area. At this, the mid-term stage, I say to the Minister of State well done and keep up the good work.

Minister of State at the Department of the Environment and Local Government (Mr. D. Wallace)

I thank Senator Cox for raising this matter and giving me the opportunity to respond. I thank Senators Moylan, Costello and Mooney who raised a number of interesting points of which I and my official have taken note. Some of these points are already being addressed, but I give a commitment that the concerns of Members will be taken into consideration in terms of the decisions we will make in respect of this area.

Sitting suspended at 2.10 p.m. and resumed at 2.20 p.m.