Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 27 July 2021
639. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the status of the European Court of Justice action against the State for breach of the urban wastewater treatment directive. [39546/21]
View answerFollowing a judgment in March 2019 by the Court of Justice of the European Union on Ireland's non-compliance with the urban wastewater treatment directive, my Department, accompanied by Irish Water, met with European Commission officials in June 2019 and proposed a programme of measures to ensure that the findings in the judgment were addressed. My Department is maintaining regular contact with the Commission as the work set out in the programme of measures is progressed and has submitted its third report of progress. Works have been completed at 17 of the 28 agglomerations identified in the judgment to bring them into compliance with the Directive.
Irish Water continues to develop and implement a long-term investment perspective in order to strategically address the deficiencies in the public water and waste water system. Building water and waste water treatment plants, as well as upgrading or building new water and waste water networks, requires significant and sustained investment. The National Development Plan 2018-2027 provides for significant investment in public water and wastewater infrastructure over the course of the plan 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.
