Mr. David Flynn:

In the early 2000s when we saw the most improvement in urban wastewater we were investing in or around €330 million a year. That dropped off in the intervening years. It has recovered since 2013 up to approximately €200 million. The plans set out here are back up to €300 million a year. Irish Water or CER are probably better placed to talk about the individual figures. It is important from our point of view in the EPA that those plans are delivered on and that money is made available at that level because the solution for the 27 by 2021 is extremely ambitious and needs sustained financial and human resources applied to it.

In respect of the inspection plans, the monitoring data from all Irish Water sites are submitted to us annually. We also conduct inspections of approximately 100 sites a year and then we take samples of 250 sites in addition. We are out on the ground visiting the sites and getting information back on that. We also publish every one of those reports. All those inspection reports are publicly available.

Other witnesses have dealt with the situation at Ringsend.

In response to Senator O'Sullivan's question about the standards, she is right to say the Urban Waste Water Directive deals with a very basic standard of treatment. EPA licences take into account wider aspects covered by the Water Framework Directive, which brings in a broader set of standards, and other directives, such as the Shellfish Waters Directive and the Bathing Water Directive. The EPA licence sets out the conditions required to meet all of those. That is the primary tool we use as our engagement with Irish Water on any individual plant.