Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 16 May 1995

Vol. 452 No. 8

Written Answers. - Water Treatment Facilities.

Eoin Ryan

Ceist:

131 Mr. E. Ryan asked the Minister for the Environment in view of public concern about the quality of water supply in some places in County Wexford in relation to which it was stated that discharges from five sewage outlets were more than three times higher than Government standards, if he will expand on his statement that a £1 billion programme of improvements would ensure that standards in Wexford and the country as a whole would be met within ten years; if he will publish figures to show how this sum will be sufficient to cover the construction of such flagship projects as Ringsend which will cost well in excess of £200 million and the multiplicity of smaller local schemes required around the country to tackle the problems; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8580/95]

Minister for the Environment (Mr. Howlin)

The EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive specifies different timeframes for the upgrading of treatment facilities according to size of population discharge and the quality of receiving waters. The most significant deadline is end-year 2000 which will apply to all discharges with a population equivalent in excess of 15,000. This covers all major cities and towns, including Dublin/Ringsend, Cork, Limerick, Waterford, Galway, Dundalk, Drogheda, Clonmel and Wexford.

A deadline of the year 2005 will apply for provision of secondary treatment for all discharges with a population equivalent between 2,000 and 15,000 discharging to freshwaters and estuaries, and for all coastal discharges between 10,000 and 15,000 population equivalent.

In addition, more stringent treatment than secondary (in the form of nutrient reduction facilities) will be required by end-1998 for all discharges in excess of 10,000 population equivalent into any of the ten sensitive areas which have been identified in Ireland for the purposes of the Directive.

In accordance with the Directive, my Department has prepared an implementation programme for submission to the European Commission. This involves some 95 treatment and some 60 collection schemes and an estimated expenditure covering the 11 years to end-2005 of some £1.2 billion.

Implementation of the Directive will involve a major financial commitment for Ireland as for all EU member states. Appropriate EU co-financing will be availed of for this purpose. I am satisfied that significant improvements in water quality generally will result throughout the country, including County Wexford, as a result of the investment.