Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 26 October 2011
81 Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the steps he will take to address the poor public water quality in the Fintown area of County Donegal which is served by Lough Muck. [31623/11]
View answerSince 2008, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has profiled public water supplies to determine whether the supply needs to be replaced or upgraded, or operational practices improved to ensure that there are no risks to the supply of drinking water. Supplies which require such improvement are included in a list known as the Remedial Action List. Many of these supplies are small supplies and where infrastructure improvements are required, my Department has made funding available to local authorities through a special contingency fund under the Rural Water Programme. Funding has been provided to Donegal County Council for a number of supplies from this Fund. Funding is also provided for more major works for supplies on the Remedial Action List through the Water Services Investment Programme. The Fintown supply was added to the Remedial Action List by the EPA in 2010. Consideration was given as part of the review of the Water Services Investment Programme 2010-2012, earlier this year, to a proposal by Donegal County Council for improvement works for this supply to be undertaken as part of the proposed Lettermacaward Regional Water Supply Scheme which is included in the programme. The Department considered that given the scale of the works, a more appropriate cost effective solution could be delivered under the Rural Water Programme. It is understood that Donegal County Council are preparing an application for funding for such works, which will be submitted to my Department shortly.
