Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 16 June 2020
1044. Deputy Chris Andrews asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government if he has considered whether raw sewage being released into Dublin Bay has Covid-19; if there is a process for testing if it has Covid-19; and if the sewage can be tested if that is not already being done. [10785/20]
View answerIreland is following the advice of the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the advice of our own health authorities. As this is a novel virus, evidence and information on COVID-19 is increasing on a daily basis. According to the most recent guidance from the WHO, published 23 April 2020, the main routes of transmission are respiratory droplets and direct contact. The risk of transmission of the COVID-19 virus from the faeces of an infected person appears to be low.
Irish Water has statutory responsibility for all aspects of water services planning, delivery and operation at national, regional and local level. In that role, Irish Water is in contact with water and waste water utility companies across Europe to exchange international experience and information on responding to the operational and other risks associated with COVID-19.
The European Commission’s Joint Research Centre and the Directorate General for Environment are jointly organising a waste water based monitoring system for the prevalence of COVID-19 in the populations and had looked for other member states to participate in this programme. UCD has recently been awarded funding from the Science Foundation Ireland (SFI), and will be working in collaboration with Dublin City Council, Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council and Irish Water, with testing beginning from the Ringsend plant. This research will be used to determine if the monitoring of RNA traces of the coronavirus in sewage is useful to detect the circulation of the virus among the population in support of other public health monitoring and testing mechanisms.
