Malcolm Noonan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy Bacik. I congratulate her on her recent graduation. I commend her on bringing this Bill forward. It is timely and brings together many initiatives around the conversations we have been having within our Department and also with stakeholders such as SOS Dublin Bay regarding the future of the bay.

I thank all the Deputies for their contributions. We all want to achieve the same objective in terms of biodiversity but also with regard to the bay as an amenity. There is an opportunity to move forward in a spirit of collaboration across the House to try to do that.

A number of issues were raised, particularly by Deputy Andrews, with regard to the Ringsend wastewater treatment plant. Separately, a recent Environmental Protection Agency report about the impact of dog faeces on the beach indicated that this is actually impacting on the water quality where people are swimming.

In terms of the positives, there will be a new urban wastewater treatment directive in terms of the catchment element, the next iteration of the river basin management plan and many really good initiatives going on. I take note of the issue of the Liffey Sweeper. There is a biodiversity action fund in the local authorities administered by our Department. Lots of really good work has been done by our Department in partnership with companies like Intel around the Liffey headwaters and the River Rye. We are looking at nature-based solutions to the issue of urban wastewater run-off. We need to start embedding those types of policies in order to look at water quality in the bay as part of a whole-catchment approach rather than in isolation. That is at the end point - the receiving end - of where this is at.

The Minister, Deputy Darragh O’Brien, outlined the Government's response in terms of the impacts of extending the EU designated bathing water season in terms of testing. That could potentially have adverse impacts. We have appointed a research team from UCC to consider the findings of the public survey, to help to gather the evidence base needed to identify bathers' behaviour and to investigate the feasibility of real-time monitoring and communicating. Communication is vital, particularly if there has been a significant rainfall event. It is advisable not to swim perhaps two or three days following such an event. That would be the norm and it is good advice. Communication is a critical part of it, however.

I take the points raised by Deputy Ó Snodaigh. Dublin Bay is something that is culturally important to the people of Dublin. We feel we have an opportunity here to achieve something. Deputy Andrews mentioned my former colleague, John Gormley, who is an avid Dublin Bay swimmer. He can be seen out there regularly. I thank our team in the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, which is consistently working with stakeholders to try to address these issues.

I thank the Deputies for their contribution to the debate on this Private Members' Bill. Dublin Bay is a unique and precious place that provides a valuable amenity and heritage so close to our capital city. As such, the characteristics of the bay and the amenity it offers must be protected and enhanced. This is beyond question. In fact, it was recognised by UNESCO designation as a UN biosphere reserve in 2015. We have broad agreement on the importance of the bay and, hopefully, on our next steps.

As the Minister set out in his earlier contribution, the Government has been conscious of the evolving and changing uses of the bay and the efforts already under way to protect the bay, its biodiversity and its water quality. The Eastern and Midland Regional Assembly and Dublin Bay biosphere partnership are in place. We are testing the water throughout the year beyond the legal requirements and those results are available online. I have already mentioned the research that is under way to investigate the feasibility of providing near real-time monitoring results and communicating even more detailed quality data to the public. This is hugely positive. Again, that has been brought about through collaboration, partnership and perhaps the odd argument as well. We appreciate that; it is all part and parcel of it.

This proposed Bill is well intentioned. The Government will consider it in light of tonight's Second Stage debate. There is an opportunity here. I thank Deputy Bacik for bringing it forward. It is brilliant that we are debating it this evening and taking on board the issues that have been raised across the House by Deputies in terms of the public amenity, the biosphere and the cultural importance of Dublin Bay to the people of Dublin and Ireland. It is critical that we move forward in a spirit of collaboration to try to advance our common objectives in that regard.

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