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

Some 239 waste water schemes have been completed since 1997 under my Department's water services investment programme at an Exchequer cost of around €2.3 billion. This investment has transformed the quality, scale and coverage of our national waste water infrastructure. It has resulted in major progress in preserving and improving environmental standards and facilitated the unprecedented social and economic growth and development in every part of the country.

The environmental benefits of the new infrastructure include increased compliance with the requirements of the EU urban waste water treatment directive. This has risen from 25% in 2000 to 90% at present and the remaining schemes necessary for full compliance with the directive are included in my Department's current water services investment programme. The new infrastructure has brought about a reduction of 45,000 tonnes per annum in the pollutant load from municipal discharges to rivers, lakes and seas in a period of unprecedented economic growth. The percentage of river channels that are unpolluted has risen from 67% to 70% and there are more blue flag beaches and bathing areas. In 2006, 84 blue flags were awarded — the highest number ever and which compares to 70 in 1997. The new infrastructure has brought about additional waste water treatment capacity equivalent to the needs of an additional population of 3.3 million.

Investment in new sewerage schemes has also underpinned record levels of new house building and job creation, along with economic expansion at a rate which we have never experienced at any time in our past.

The new National Development Plan 2007-2013 provides for a €1 billion increase on the corresponding provision for water services in the last plan. This will ensure that our achievements to date will continue to be built on in the years ahead.

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