Dick Roche (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)

I propose to take all of the questions together.

I thank the Deputies for raising this issue which is of extraordinary importance. As we are at this advanced stage in our development as a nation, it is simply not acceptable that 90,000 people in Galway are in the position they are in. Drinking water in modern societies is provided through a complex production process. It is fundamental to this process that pollution and health risks to consumers are monitored, systematically measured and dealt with through proper treatment. To ensure the rigour and uniformity of standards in this matter, drinking water quality requirements are prescribed in both EU and national legislation. In Ireland monitoring of these standards is carried out at primary level by local authorities. The Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, recently commented on the performance of local authorities in that regard. This primary monitoring is carried out in co-operation with the Health Service Executive. In turn, local authority performance is monitored and reported on by the EPA.

The risk to water consumers from cryptosporidium is well recognised and there is much literature on the issue internationally. In November 2004 the National Disease Surveillance Centre also published a report on waterborne cryptosporidiosis. This was circulated to all local authorities by the EPA with the request that they update their risk assessments based on the revised methodology of the report. To be fair to local authorities, this has been done, with nearly 400 risk assessments carried out in response to the EPA's request.

My Department has also produced very detailed guidelines for local authorities on minimising the risk of cryptosporidium in water supplies. The guidelines were prepared in consultation with the Department of Health and Children and the EPA, with the express purpose of providing clear advice to assist local authorities in preventing cryptosporidium getting into water supply systems and infecting consumers. They cover all aspects of water supply management, including source protection, monitoring, treatment processes, storage and distribution.

Galway city and county issued a boil water notice on 15 March, on the advice of the HSE, in response to people becoming ill as a result of suspected cryptosporidiosis. Since then, the three agencies have worked closely to deal with the issue and established an incident response team made up of environmental and water services professionals.

The presence of cryptosporidium in Galway County Council's Headford water scheme was confirmed on Tuesday, 20 March and in the city council's old Terryland plant which is part of the Galway city water supply scheme on Wednesday, 21 March. I understand no indication of cryptosporidium has been found in the council's second and more modern treatment plant, also in Terryland. Fortunately, cryptosporidium at the old Terryland plant has decreased to well below critical risk levels, although understandably the boiled water notice still remains in place and will remain until the issue is dealt with.

Inadequate filtration capacity at the old treatment plant in Terryland is at the centre of the problem with the Galway city supply. Funding has been in place for some time under my Department's water services investment programme. The funding, available for almost five years, amounts to €21.5 million and is intended to upgrade the plant which will minimise future risk of contamination of the supply. I understand the city council will be submitting a brief for the appointment of consultants to prepare a preliminary report for the scheme to my Department "as soon as possible." It cannot be soon enough and the brief will receive immediate attention when it arrives.

The Headford water supply scheme is a small stand-alone one using raw water from Lough Corrib with a disinfection process only. A €29 million extension of the Tuam regional water supply scheme to Headford which is also being funded under my Department's water services investment programme is under construction and commissioning is expected to take place next August. In the meantime, I understand Galway County Council has secured an alternative supply that could be in place within a week or so, from the Caherlistrane-Kilcoona group water scheme which has had a new €4 million treatment plant installed last month. This is good news and, again, the funding came from the rural water programme.

At this point I want to specifically refute any suggestion the current problem in Galway has to do with failure on the part of my Department. It is time we stopped acting the fool and looking for explanations when local authorities, or any public authority, do not deliver. I have clarified that funding of €21.5 million has been available for some time for the Terryland upgrade and that formal proposals are still, five years later, awaited by the Department. Work on the extension of the Tuam regional scheme is being funded, as I mentioned, to the tune of €29 million under the scheme and is nearing completion. The interim supply for Headford from the Caherlistrane-Kilcoona group water scheme has also been made possible by the provision of departmental funding.

On a national level, unprecedented investment is being made by my Department in new and improved water supply schemes, with those potentially at risk from cryptosporidium a particular priority. The fruit of this investment is borne out by the EPA whose latest report verifies the fundamentally high quality of Ireland's drinking water in general. I fully appreciate that this does not allay the real distress of the people and businesses affected in Galway by this extremely unsatisfactory position but it is also the case that this is an exceptional incident.

I have had private discussions with Deputies in the House, particularly those local to the problem, including Deputy Michael Higgins. I intend to travel to Galway tomorrow and will bring with me senior personnel from my Department. I intend to ask for an explanation of why there has not been more urgency and ambition in delivering the water scheme.

On the specific recruitment issue, I assure Deputy Sargent it has nothing to do with this problem. It has been indicated——

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