Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Wednesday, 20 March 2024

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine

Compliance with the Nitrates Directive and Implications for Ireland: Discussion (Resumed)

Mr. Niall Horgan:

Between the second and third cycle of river basin management planning, there was a significant decrease in terms of the number of pressures associated with urban wastewater. Last year that decreased further, and is reflective of the upgrading and investment in urban wastewater infrastructure. Last year we invested more than €400 million in urban wastewater and continue to see the significant pressure sites as a priority for investment going forward. We are committed to having assessments done in the next investment period to identify exactly what upgrades are needed to address those significant pressures.