Joanna Tuffy (Dublin Mid West, Labour)

I hope the Minister of State's response will deal with the general situation as well as the specific case of County Louth. What steps is the Department taking to deal with the problem of excessive lead levels in water supplies throughout the State? I understand 11 local authorities have reported problems to the EPA. The latter has indicated that the standards regarding acceptable levels will become stricter in the future, so the problem may get worse and affect even more local authorities.

I understand works are to be carried out in Galway and Mallow. Will similar works be undertaken in the other 11 local authority areas? What support is the Department providing to the local authorities? Do they have the necessary funding, staff and expertise? Reports indicate there was a delay in communicating some of the information from Galway City Council to the EPA. I am not familiar with the background to this. Is information being communicated quickly enough to the EPA? If not, is action being taken by the agency or is there a requirement for the legislation to be strengthened in this regard?

This is a nationwide problem which we must address over time. There is also the issue of householders in private homes. I presume local authorities may also have to replace the pipes in individual homes owned by them. The Department must oversee a national strategy for implementation by the EPA and the various local authorities.

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