Water Quality

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 28 June 2022

Tuesday, 28 June 2022

Ceisteanna (928)

Duncan Smith

Ceist:

928. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Health his views on whether the recent completion by Irish Water in partnership with Dublin City Council of the major five-year long infrastructure project to cover the treated water reservoirs at Stillorgan in order to finally eliminate long-standing risks of contamination for example cryptosporidium and antimicrobial resistant pathogens proven to be dispersed into the water supply by large seagull colonies in their faecal waste, marks a welcome strengthening of the protection of public health, in particular for the 200,000 + consumers served by the reservoirs. [34537/22]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Health

Since 1 January 2014, Irish Water has statutory responsibility for all aspects of water services planning, delivery and operation at national, regional and local levels and the Minister for Health has no function in relation to this matter, under section 7 of the Water Services (No. 2) Act 2013.

In addition, the Environmental Protection Agency, as the Environmental Regulator, is the key statutory body for investigating complaints of pollution and for the enforcement, both directly and through oversight of Irish Water and local authorities, of environmental legislation in Ireland, including compliance.

The EPA is an independent public body established under the Environmental Protection Agency Act, 1992, and is entirely independent in the exercise of its functions.