Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 17 Jun 2003

Vol. 568 No. 5

Written Answers. - Water and Sewerage Schemes.

Bernard J. Durkan

Ceist:

447 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for the Environment Heritage and Local Government the steps taken or proposed to ensure an improvement to eliminate the possibility of pollution from sewerage treatment plants; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16899/03]

Bernard J. Durkan

Ceist:

448 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for the Environment Heritage and Local Government if he is satisfied that all local authority sewage treatment plants are sufficiently efficient to eliminate the possibility of pollution of waterways; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16900/03]

Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government (Mr. Cullen)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 447 and 448 together.

The Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive requires specific waste water treatment and-or collection facilities to be in place by 31 December 2005 for discharges from a graduated range of agglomeration thresholds. The current water services investment programme, which covers the years 2002 to 2004, contains 380 waste water schemes, incorporating all the remaining waste water schemes needed for full compliance with the directive.

At the beginning of the current national development plan, compliance with the year 2005 requirements of the urban waste water treatment directive stood at 25%. This will rise to 87% by the end of 2003, with the completion, this year, of major waste water treatment schemes in Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Galway and Wexford. Full compliance by the end of 2005 is the target and the funding being provided for the advancement of relevant schemes approved under my Department's water services investment programme will ensure that this is achieved. The national development plan provides for expenditure of €4.4 billion over the period 2000-06 on water services infrastructure, of which some €2.4 billion will be spent on waste water facilities. Overall, a good rate of progress is being achieved in the waste water treatment area in response to our obligations under the EU directive and other national priorities.