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Water Pollution

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 5 May 2021

Wednesday, 5 May 2021

Questions (109)

Pa Daly

Question:

109. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the legislative and policy-based measures which prevent the pumping of sewage into public waterways. [12892/21]

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Written answers

With effect from 1 January 2014, Irish Water has statutory responsibility for all aspects of water services planning, delivery and operation at national, regional and local levels for public water services, including the delivery of water services capital infrastructure, encompassing the management of urban waste water collection and treatment infrastructure.

All discharges to the aquatic environment from sewerage systems owned, managed and operated by Irish Water require a waste water discharge licence or certificate of authorisation from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The authorisation process provides for the EPA to place stringent conditions on the operation of such discharges to ensure that potential effects on the receiving water bodies are strictly limited and controlled. This is in line with the Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive which 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 EPA is the key statutory body for investigating complaints of pollution and for the enforcement, both directly and through oversight of Irish Water and local authorities, of environmental legislation in Ireland, including compliance in relation to licensed urban waste water discharges.

The EPA’s recent report on the performance of urban waste water treatment in 2019 shows that, while many challenges remain, Irish Water is continuing to make progress and is improving our waste water systems. Irish Water has reduced the number of priority waste water sites listed by the EPA and has increased the number of large towns and cities that now meet the required EU standards for waste water discharges.

In addition to its major investment programme, Irish Water has brought forward proposals for a Small Towns & Villages Growth Programme, as part of its Capital Investment Plan 2020-2024 submitted to the Commission for Regulation of Utilities. The Small Towns & Villages Growth Programme is intended to provide water and wastewater growth capacity in smaller settlements which would not otherwise be provided for in its Investment Plan to 2024. My Department understands from Irish Water that an allocation of €97.5m for this programme was approved by the CRU. Irish Water is also prepared to support local authorities who wish to seek funding for un-sewered villages through the Rural Regeneration and Development Fund of the National Development Plan.

In terms of overall national policy, the River Basin Management Plan 2018 - 2021 outlines what Ireland is doing to protect and improve our waters. This is supported, amongst other measures, by a new water quality resource in the Local Authority Waters Programme; by the Irish Water’s Strategic Funding Plan 2019-2024; and by new capital investment for rural water services.

In this regard, the Programme for Government commits to a new revised and strengthened River Basin Management Plan in 2022, to protect Ireland’s water quality and ensure that we have a well-protected environment and vibrant communities.

The investment needs across our entire water system are considerable and will take a number of investment cycles to fully resolve and will require significant and sustained investment. Under the Programme for Government, the Government has committed to continuing the €8.5 billion funding package agreed in Project Ireland 2040, which will be invested in public water services to ensure the continued operation, repair and upgrading of Ireland’s water and waste water infrastructure to support social and economic development across the State and ensure compliance with EU Directives.

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