Dick Roche (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)

I am aware of the concerns of Deputy Connaughton. I have provided €27.4 million specifically to Galway County Council to provide for upgrading and further capacity. Luimnagh produces good water and this funding will provide conservation measures and storage capacity as well as additional treatment. There is a problem at Luimnagh and Tuam, as Deputy Connaughton is aware, because 70% of the water at Tuam is lost through cracked pipes. I sanctioned the local authorities to address this on 30 March. This matter prevents the water going to where one would wish.

I referred to 2009, which is the end date mentioned in the directive. It is not necessarily the only date. The other point made by a number of contributors considered whether the Department is besotted by PPPs. This is possibly not the place to debate that. The water service investment programme for 2005-07 contains 899 schemes, with a value of €5.1 billion. Some 16 schemes currently under way are PPPs. It is not correct to state there is a preponderance of PPPs.

Deputy Higgins referred to independent oversight in addition to where water plans are made. This year I made additional regulations granting more power to the EPA. It has the power to monitor and report. It has carried out some excellent reports on the monitoring systems but did not have power to enforce. I granted the EPA additional enforcement powers by regulation in early March, before the Galway outbreak. This enforcement power and oversight function exists through the EPA. This is the independent supervision to which Deputy Higgins refers.

Deputy Murphy referred to the relationship between local authorities and central Government. More power should be given to local authorities and local authority power should reside in council members. They have a responsibility to draw up a development plan. I agree with Deputy O'Dowd that extraneous issues sometimes creep into it.

Deputy O'Dowd referred to flooding, one of the issues in Galway. The area had an extremely high water table, as Deputies Connaughton and Higgins are aware. The latter referred to his contribution on a debate on this matter years ago. A high water table pulls in material from septic tanks and the land. His point about flood plains is correct but there have been positive developments in this respect in recent years. I indicated I would strike down part of the Monaghan plan because it was imprudently involved in development near flood plains in the Ballybay area along the lines indicated by the Deputy. That is not right. An Bord Pleanála takes flood plain issues into account to a greater extent than in the past, including the case in Kildare to which a Deputy referred.

See this speech in context