Noel Ahern (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)

In the past year, radically improved supervisory structures for water supplies have been put in place by the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government. Local authority drinking water supplies are now subject to direct supervision by the Environmental Protection Agency. The agency has been given extensive powers of direction and intervention for this purpose and the penalties for failure to comply with the new drinking water regulations have been substantially increased. The EPA yesterday exercised its new powers of direction in this case.

The purpose of the new regime introduced by the Minister is not alone to underpin compliance with water quality standards but to ensure consumers are adequately protected and properly informed. I note the Deputy's comments on the delay in providing information and the culture of secrecy at work. The Minister has in recent weeks announced details of a wide range of measures to guarantee high standards in our water supplies, including accelerated investment in key "at risk" schemes, improved operational practices and sharing of best practice among local authorities. A key element of the Minister's initiative is improvement of consumer access to information on the quality of drinking water.

The Minister will direct local authorities to publish on their websites up-to-date information on drinking water quality in their areas. They will also be instructed to establish contact hot-lines so that members of the public can get the facts about the quality of their drinking water. This ready access to information on water quality will empower consumers to actively engage with their local authority on the quality of their supplies.

The response to the problem that has emerged in this case in Galway shows that the new system works and immediate local action is guaranteed when an incident occurs — all things are relative. The EPA, as the body responsible for supervising local authorities' management of their public water supplies, will oversee Galway City Council's response to the problem.

The latest EPA drinking water report published in January 2008 reported 20 out of the 944 public supplies in the country had a sample with in excess of the standard for lead. These are in all cases associated with lead service connections serving properties that are more than 40 to 50 years old. Many more modern pipes are plastic. The EPA has for several years alerted local authorities to the issue. Appropriate pH correction at the water treatment plant ensures water will not react with lead pipes. The dosing of phosphates is also recommended by the EPA as a means of reducing lead in the water as it has the further effect of sealing the lead within the network. This can be done easily and quickly.

Substantial funding is being provided towards Galway city's water conservation programme and it is open to the city council to prioritise any pipe replacement that would take the offending lead services permanently out of commission. This may provide a solution to the Deputy's request that extra funding be provided. Considerable funding has been allocated to Galway City Council for its water system. It is a matter for the council to prioritise how this funding is spent. In the meantime, it is important that all possible resources are focused on getting the problem solved quickly and effectively. The Minister is confident that with continuing close co-operation between the council, the EPA and the HSE, lead levels in the water supply can be reduced and then phased out.

I will convey to the Minister the Deputy's question concerning lead in households. I doubt the Deputy's request can be acceded to as local authorities are usually responsible for external piping up as far as the walls of households or stopcocks located on footpaths. Piping from the stopcock to household sinks is usually the responsibility of the householder unless he or she is a local authority tenant. However, I do not wish to announce policy, favourable or otherwise, on behalf of the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government. If officials are in good humour, the Deputy's hopes may be realised. I will convey to the Minister the Deputy's comments on the need to assist elderly people. I am sure the area has a strong community and people will assist older members of the community who may not be able to walk to standpipes.

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