Emer Higgins (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the witnesses for their report and input today. I will start with one of the few key positive messages in the report, which is outlined on page 6 of the submission. It was not in Dr. Ryan's address, but it was referenced thereafter. I will refer to it more for the benefit of the public than for any other reason. According to the report, the overall quality of public drinking water remained high in 2019, with 99.9% compliance with microbiological standards and 99.6% compliance with chemical parameters. Of course, boil water notices are in place and have been issued in recent years. In an average year, how does our experience of boil water notices compare with the international average?

I thank the witnesses for their explanation of the mechanical pump failure at Ballymore Eustace, which serves many of my constituents in Clondalkin, Rathcoole, Saggart, Newcastle and Brittas, and their outline of the audit findings following the Ballymore Eustace and Gorey incidents. There is a great deal of cause for concern in their report. These are serious public health matters and incidents, and according to the EPA's findings, they were preventable. That is what makes this the biggest failure of all but, in fairness, something that can also be cured a little more easily. Managerial oversight and the escalation path and emergency response, or the lack thereof, seem to be the two key contributors to these incidents. If we can take any good news from this, it is that both can be acted on quickly. Managerial oversight can be tackled relatively quickly and effectively through training, change management and process amendments, and business continuity planning, BCP, can help with the mapping out of a better escalation path and emergency responses, graded according to the seriousness of incidents that arise. I was in the corporate sector before I became a Deputy. There, BCP meetings were a critical and routine part of business as usual. BCP should be a priority for Irish Water and the focus of routine meetings between Irish Water, the relevant local authorities and the EPA. Is that happening? The witnesses mentioned the EPA was meeting weekly with Irish Water, but has BCP been incorporated into the EPA's day-to-day or week-to-week business?

I appreciate that the EPA has compiled an action plan to resolve the issues it has uncovered, but will the witnesses outline what specific changes have happened since then to mitigate against these issues arising in future? Are they satisfied that actions are being taken or are planned to be taken in a way that will prevent preventable issues like these?