Mr. Fintan Towey:

I will respond. I thank the Deputy for his comments and questions. I will try to set what is happening in context. Under European law, there is a requirement that wastewater treatment facilities be provided to agglomerations with a population equivalent exceeding 2,000. It is the legal obligation that arises under European law. There are many agglomerations in Ireland, with a population below that level, which have treatment facilities that were established by the local authorities and are now operated by Uisce Éireann. Uisce Éireann also has a specific programme with regard to developing wastewater treatment, in small towns and villages that are below the threshold.

The programme has been developed by Uisce Éireann, in close consultation with the local authorities, through a process of identifying the priorities within each local authority area for inclusion within that programme.