Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

The Deputy is right to draw attention to the need to have clean water systems, which is a critically important issue for our country. We need to manage our systems, including our wastewater treatment and our public water systems, in a way that ensures the Irish public and the environment have water that is clean and is in pristine condition for bathing or for other reasons. That is not the case at the present time. It is important to recognise the work of the EPA. The report it published last week recognises that there is an issue around our wastewater treatment systems. However, it is also an issue around agricultural policy and forestry policy. A critical response is needed in the river basin management system so that we integrate all of the different aspects that affect water quality and get the proper water quality we deserve.

More immediately, with regard to Irish Water, first there is a recognition of the problem. The recent budget allocated €1.6 billion to Irish Water to address the key areas where there is a shortfall; for example, where raw sewage is being deposited, particularly when storm waters are mixing in. During yesterday's bad weather, storm water systems would have been running into the wastewater systems. That is a particular problem right across the country, particularly in my own city of Dublin.

Progress is being made. The money that is being spent will have an effect and make a difference. The key statistic the Deputy raised, correctly, is that currently only 50% of wastewater is being treated to EU standards. The completion of the Ringsend treatment plant will bring us up to the 90% she cited as the European norm. Ireland should go beyond the norm. That plant will be completed. I visited it and saw the work that is being carried out. It is a critical part in addressing one of the areas where we have a particular problem, which is in Dublin. We cannot stop there, however. We must go further. A total of €6 billion is committed in the capital programme between 2021 and 2025.

We need to continue on a systematic basis to address and invest in our water quality. This is something that was not always popular in previous Governments or in this House in previous years. We were not able to get the political agreement to raise and allocate money for wastewater and water treatment systems. The money is there now. With regard to Irish Water, structurally, there is now an opportunity to look at reporting or other mechanisms. We will be passing legislation to separate Irish Water out from Ervia. I suggest that any measures or proposals the Deputy has with regard to Irish Water's governance structure, or how it reports to this House, could be addressed in that legislation. I understand it will come to the House shortly.

The political commitment on the Government side, and I believe from the Opposition, is clear. We must improve our environmental protection in this country. Access to water that is healthy and clean is a basic right. We need to provide that through Irish Water and change those statistics around.

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