Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 27 April 2004
778 Mr. G. Mitchell asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if a purification plant in Dublin, which was funded by the Exchequer and the European Commission works properly; if he will confirm that sewage is not being discharged into the Irish Sea; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11303/04]
View answer830 Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he intends to intervene directly to ensure that the sewage treatment plant which he opened in Ringsend is functioning properly; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11996/04]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 778 and 830 together.
The management of the Dublin Bay waste water treatment plant is the responsibility of Dublin City Council. On completion of the commissioning stage it will fully meet the requirements of the urban waste water treatment directive.
I understand from the council that the plant has been meeting the intermediate standards required under the contract for the commissioning stage and has already resulted in a very substantial improvement in water quality in Dublin Bay. While the quality of the discharged effluent was affected at certain times by commissioning difficulties, it was well within the contractual limits. The latest position is that, while the results of a two months continuous test of the plant are currently being analysed, all wastewater arriving at the plant, together with all sludge produced on site, is being subjected to the complete treatment process and only treated effluent is being discharged.
