Peter Burke (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy Whitmore for raising this important issue. My priority in these situations is always to ensure that people's health is protected. The Deputy will appreciate the operation of the Barndarrig public water supply is a matter for Irish Water which, since 1 January 2014, has statutory responsibility for all aspects of water services planning, delivery and operation at national, regional and local level. The Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, as environmental regulator, is responsible for setting quality standards and enforcing compliance with EU directives and national regulations for the provision of drinking water.

However, from inquiries which my Department has made with Irish Water, I understand the "Do not consume" notice currently in place for the area supplied by the Barndarrig water treatment plant was issued on 9 February 2021. This followed consultation between Irish Water, Wicklow County Council and the Health Service Executive, HSE, to protect approximately 213 customers in this area, due to elevated levels of nitrates in the water supply.

It is important to note this is not a boil water notice as boiling the water would not reduce nitrite levels and is, therefore, not a suitable measure to make the water safe to consume. However, the water can still be used for sanitation and hygiene purposes, including hand washing which is critical during the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.

Irish Water, together with Wicklow County Council, continues to arrange an alternative water supply by providing bottled water at a location in Barndarrig to support impacted customers, in accordance with current Covid-19 restrictions. Delivery of water supplies are also being arranged for vulnerable customers who are registered on this supply. However, as the Deputy requested in her opening remarks, I will raise this issue with Irish Water in terms of the tanker to which she referred.

Irish Water is installing additional equipment at the water treatment plant, which will treat the water to reduce nitrate compounds and this will help safeguard the water supply at Barndarrig. The Irish Water team is working to install and calibrate this equipment, which will take a few weeks to complete. Once this work is completed, Irish Water will consult with the HSE with a view to lifting the "Do not consume" notice.

My Department's priority is to ensure people's health is protected and that adequate water is available for personal hygiene and the washing of hands during the Covid-19 pandemic. We all want to see this notice lifted without undue delay, but only when the HSE and the EPA have confirmed the water supply is safe. Additional information and advice is available on Irish Water's website or by calling Irish Water's 24-hour customer care line.

Both our water and waste water systems require substantial and sustained investment to bring the systems up to the quality and resilience standards required of a modern service, provide for population growth and build resilience in the face of climate change.

As part of budget 2021, I secured funding of more than €1.4 billion to support water services. This includes €1.3 billion in respect of domestic water services provision by Irish Water. The overall investment will deliver significant improvements in our public water and waste water services, support improved water supplies throughout Ireland, including rural Ireland, and support a range of programmes delivering improved water quality in our rivers, lakes and marine area.

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