I propose to take Questions Nos. 508 to 510, inclusive, together.
Enforcement in relation to illegal diesel laundering activities is primarily a matter for the Revenue Commissioners from the point of view of avoiding loss of revenue to the Exchequer. My Department assists local authorities in carrying out their role as competent authorities under waste legislation, which involves taking the necessary measures, on behalf of the State, to ensure that any waste generated and left abandoned by diesel launderers is disposed of without endangering human health and without harming the environment, in particular without risk to water.
The responsibility for the investigation of catchment-based water quality issues in this area lies with the local authorities and the responsibility for ensuring safe drinking water lies with Irish Water: both are supervised in these roles by the EPA. On noting the recent reports related to the River Fane, the EPA requested information from the local authorities involved, Louth and Monaghan County Councils. Both authorities have conducted inquiries into this matter with some operational support provided by the EPA.
The EPA also immediately initiated communication with Irish Water in relation to this matter. Irish Water has informed the EPA that they have carried out monitoring and it has not found PAHs in the River Fane abstraction point for the Dundalk supply. In addition, the EPA conducted an audit of the Dundalk drinking water plant on 5 February. The initial findings were discussed with Irish Water on that day, and I understand that a report will be issued shortly. The EPA is also in contact with cross-border authorities in relation to this matter and will remain in communication with the relevant authorities until it is brought to a satisfactory close.
There is a culture of strong and active co-operation on this and other waste management issues between the relevant enforcement authorities on both sides of the Border, involving An Garda Síochána, the Police Service of Northern Ireland and other enforcement agencies. My own Department, as part of on-going cooperation on repatriation of illegally deposited waste in Northern Ireland, has held discussions with the Northern Ireland authorities on the need to develop a mechanism for dealing with waste from cross-border diesel washings which would be factored into the overall discussions on waste repatriation. These discussions are on-going.
There are well established structures in existence that provide a forum to deal with a variety of cross border issues, including waste arising from fuel laundering activities. As indicated previously, I have written to my counterpart in the Northern Ireland Executive, Minister Mark Durkan, to highlight again the problems being faced by border counties exposed to the consequences of environmental crime and I have signalled to him that this is an issue that I will be raising at the next meeting of the North South Ministerial Council in May. The council meets in the Environment Sector in order to make decisions on common policies and approaches in a cross-border context in areas such as environmental protection, pollution, water quality management and waste management and this is, I believe, the most appropriate forum to address this serious issue from a waste and water quality perspective.
The illegal deposition of waste material arising from diesel laundering activities presents the local authorities with major difficulties as the task of cleaning up the material needs to be dealt with to avoid threats to the environment. The laundering process requires the use of chemicals such as sulphuric acid and bleaching agents and results in a waste by-product, a tar-like chemical compound or sludge, with significant potential for environmental pollution, particularly in relation to watercourses.
I believe that a complete solution to this problem must necessarily involve effective and co-ordinated enforcement of the law from both a revenue and waste management perspective. In that context, my Department continues to liaise with representatives of the Office of the Revenue Commissioners, the local authorities concerned and the EPA’s Office of Environmental Enforcement to seek to identify more effective enforcement solutions and these engagements will continue.
