I propose to take Questions Nos. 173 and 174 together.
The Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive sets out requirements for the collection, treatment and discharge of urban waste water, with the objective of protecting the environment from the adverse effects of waste water discharges. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is the environmental regulator responsible for the licensing, authorisation and enforcement of urban waste water discharges. Last week, the EPA published their annual report on compliance with the Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive for the year 2014, Urban Waste Water Treatment in 2014.
Neither I nor my Department have any role in the implementation of recommendations made by the EPA in the report. Since 1 January 2014 Irish Water has statutory responsibility for all aspects of water services planning, delivery and operation at national, regional and local levels, including the management of urban waste water collection and treatment infrastructure, and is responsible for compliance with the requirements of authorisations issued by the EPA.
The Water Services (No. 2) Act 2013 requires Irish Water to put in place a Water Services Strategic Plan (WSSP). The WSSP outlines the strategic direction for Irish Water over the short, medium and long-term time frames up to 2040. It identifies and prioritises the key objectives required to ensure the public water and wastewater systems meet the challenges of the future. The WSSP specifically notes that it is an objective of Irish Water to ensure compliance with the Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive and sets out target dates to achieve this. Irish Water published the WSSP in October 2015 and this is available online at: http://www.water.ie/about-us/project-and-plans/future-plans/.
Irish Water has established a dedicated team to deal with representations and queries from public representatives. They may be contacted via email to oireachtasmembers@water.ie or by telephone on 1890 578 578.
