Batt O'Keeffe (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)

I thank Deputy Gormley for raising this matter which is of major concern to people in the Ringsend area.

The European Commission's proposed legal action concerning odours from sewage plants arose as a result of a complaint about the Greystones waste water treatment plant which, I understand, has long since been resolved. The Commission's concern is no longer particular to any sewage treatment plant but relates to the need to provide general rules for odour control for all such plants.

In so far as the question of odours from treatment plants generally is concerned, my Department is finalising a draft of regulations providing for amendment of the binding rules on sanitary authorities relating to the design, construction, operation and management of urban waste water treatment plants to address odours from such plants. The draft regulations will set requirements for treatment plants to avoid causing nuisance through noise or odours and will require records of all mandatory environmental standards and environmental complaints arising from plants, including noise and odours, to be maintained. The draft regulations will be finalised shortly and a copy will be sent to the Commission to allow it to furnish comments before the regulations are made.

With regard to Ringsend, there is no argument but that there have been intermittent difficulties with odours since the plant was opened. It is a complex and compact facility involving advanced technology. It was absolutely essential to go for an innovative solution to fit the plant into the limited space available on the Ringsend site. Inevitably, some teething problems have been, and are being, vigorously addressed by the city council and by the contractor who operates the plant on the council's behalf.

I accept that when odours have occurred they have been unpleasant for residents who have experienced them. However, following an independent audit commissioned by the council to identify the causes, a programme of works has been implemented which has, I understand, greatly improved the overall situation since the summer of 2004. Unfortunately, the odour problem re-emerged for a short time earlier this year due to maintenance procedures on site, which have since been completed.

The environmental impact statement for the Ringsend treatment plant, certified in 1997, set odour limits to be met at the boundary of the site. These standards were incorporated into the contract the city council entered into with the contracting consortium. Additional odour treatment equipment and measures were progressively incorporated into the plant over the summer of 2004 following the initial problems in meeting the odour limits. These measures have significantly improved the performance of the plant, and the city council is working closely with the consortium in seeking resolution of the outstanding issues to fully comply with the odour standards in the environmental impact statement.

Without in any way diminishing the discomfort the odours have caused, it would be wrong to lose sight of the tremendous boon the Ringsend plant has proved for the people of Dublin and for environmental standards across Dublin bay. The new plant provides advanced secondary waste water treatment, including disinfection, to the exacting standards laid down in the EU urban waste water treatment directive for a population equivalent of 1.7 million people in areas as far apart as Dún Laoghaire, Ratoath, Ashbourne and Portmarnock. The new plant has replaced the basic primary treatment that previously existed for roughly two thirds of the waste water from the Dublin region and no treatment for the remainder which was discharged into the bay in its raw state.

The dumping of untreated sewage has long ceased. Water quality in Dublin bay has radically improved and blue flags can be expected on Dublin beaches this summer, a unique achievement for a European capital. Let us not overlook these positive factors but be assured that any lingering problems with the Ringsend plant are being systematically addressed and will be eliminated for good as quickly as possible.

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