Mr. Gerard O'Leary:

On septic tanks, our role had been to publish a national inspection plan. The first year of the plan finished in July of this year. We have been analysing the data. Therefore, it is the first time that we have published the figures that are there. We had an interim report, which we released last January, because we wanted to ensure that the thousand inspections would be completed. Again, we did it on a risk basis. There are different parts of the country where there would have been bigger impacts, in terms of ground water and surface water. We set a minimum level, in the first instance, so local authorities could do more on that. This is not going to be a once-a-year inspections regime. Septic tanks inspections are here to stay. However, they are part of a wider campaign to protect our water resources. There are river basin management plans. They are going to be revised. Inspections that will be done on waste-water treatment plants and on agriculture septic tanks, which would be a pressure on the environment, would form part of that.

With regard to the question on local authorities, the agency has a supervisory role over the performance by local authorities of their statutory duties. It extends beyond the areas of waste water and drinking water - which are obviously now within the remit of Irish Water - and water quality. Local authorities would have a huge role in the area of waste management. They would permit a lot of sites while our agency would licence the larger activities. If I can draw the committee's attention to page 11 of the document, one of the things we have tried to do is the development of the "See it? Say it!" app. This allows a member of the public to download the app. They can take a simple photograph which will automatically be sent to a call centre, that we have set up, that transmits it to the local authority. We are hoping to have some development in that area later on this year. For instance, that would get recorded as part of the Fix Your Street campaign - which again covers more than just the environmental aspect.

We do a lot of work to help local authorities to carry out their functions. For example, a lot of our guidance, which would be applicable to all activities, would also be applicable to their permitted activities. Also, in the Focus on Environmental Enforcement in Ireland 2009 -2012 report which I referred to earlier, we tried to cover local authority activities. For example, on waste, they probably deal with more complaints than we would because litter would be a huge issue that has a local dimension. We have a function. Also, if a function is not being carried out by a local authority, a member of the public has recourse to our agency. We will start what we call a section 63 process. We will ask the local authority for a report. We may then instruct them to undertake actions.

On water quality, Deputy Murphy mentioned the supply issue. In terms of drinking water, quality is a huge issue, for example, in the western part of the country. The bigger challenge in Dublin is capacity. It is on a knife edge. We saw it last year with the Ballymore Eustace plant. When the chemistry of the water changed, the plant was still able to deal with it and produce water. However, although production did not stop, it was not at a sufficient rate. Huge numbers of people were inconvenienced from the point of view supply. The quantity is on a knife edge.

We will be publishing a report in the next number of weeks on the Ringsend sewerage treatment plant. In terms of compliance with the EU directive, it is not complying. Last time round, it was very close to achieving compliance. There is a huge capacity issue there. Again, it is on a knife-edge from the point of view of treatment. While there is a big plant there, there is also a huge load getting into the area. It is borderline in terms of compliance. We will have an updated report in the next number of weeks and I will be happy to furnish it to the committee.