Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 1 May 2014
120. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government where it is intended to introduce regulation in relation to the abstraction of water by households from their own land either for their own domestic use, for agriculture or for business purposes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19809/14]
View answerThe Local Government (Water Pollution) Regulations 1978 require local authorities to maintain a register of water abstractions greater than 25 cubic metres per day but there is no comprehensive national register of water abstractions. Compliance with the 1978 regulations has been variable and as a result, information on the exact number of abstraction points and their location as well as the volume of abstractions is not complete.
Article 11(3)(e) of the Water Framework Directive obliges Member States to implement controls over abstractions, including a register of abstractions and a system of prior authorisation. Member States can exempt from these controls, abstractions or impoundments which have no significant impact on water status. While this requirement has not yet been transposed into Irish law I am committed to addressing this.
Any proposed controls will be subject to a comprehensive public consultation process and will require Government approval. I would anticipate that a risk-based approach will be taken to any control model.
