Vol. 568 No. 5
80 Dr. Upton asked the Minister for the Environment Heritage and Local Government when the promised legislation to allow local authorities to take over sub-standard private water schemes will be introduced; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16519/03]
At present, a sanitary authority may acquire any private water scheme, whether by agreement or by compulsory purchase, in accordance with the provisions of sections 202 and 203 of the Public Health (Ireland) Act 1878, and section 6 of the Local Government (Sanitary Services) Act 1962. The water services Bill now in preparation will consolidate and update these provisions, and will include powers to take over the operation and management of a scheme on a temporary basis, while problems with the operation of the scheme are resolved.
The Water Services Bill will place a duty of care on users of water services in water conservation, protection of collection and distribution networks, and prevention of risk to public health and the environment. To help eliminate quality problems in rural areas, it is intended to introduce a licensing system to regulate the operations of the group water sector. Licensing will not alone help to ensure that prescribed drinking water quality standards are enforced, but will bring a new level of professionalism to the sector, and help individual group schemes to assure themselves as to the quality of their service. Drafting of the Bill is nearing completion, and it is hoped to be published over the summer.
Will any of the private group water schemes be taken in charge by local authorities in advance of the enactment of the new water services Bill? Will the Minister confirm to the House whether a report in the weekend's newspapers that the Government intends to reintroduce water charges is accurate?
No local authority will take over a group water scheme prior to the enactment of this Bill unless there is a request from representatives of a group water scheme and I would not expect that. The Deputy will be aware of the substantial funding to ensure that we upgrade the quality of water in all the group schemes, which have served us well over many years. We now must move on and ensure that all water through the tap for domestic purposes is of the highest possible quality. Between now and 2006, we will spend €644 million on upgrading these schemes.
I am quite excited about the system that exists at the moment – the bundling. The design and build proposals will not take away any right from the trustees of the schemes. Many of those who committed themselves to group schemes in the past were responsible for ensuring the water flowed freely at all times. Now the contractors that design, build and operate the schemes will have responsibility for maintenance over a long period of years, which will take the onus away but will not take any right away from them.
There is no intention or discussion as far as water rates are concerned.
