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

I will try to respond quickly to so some of the points raised by Deputies. I thank everybody for their valuable contributions.

Deputy Ó Broin raised the issue of septic tanks, as did a number of other Deputies. We are working on the issue of the registration issue around septic tanks. It is critically important and I agree with all that has been said there. Certainly, there is an inspection regime. What I also received this morning from that is that the follow-up relating to the inspections seems to be quite poor.

Deputy Ó Broin also referred to urban wastewater discharges. On that, a report has been submitted to the Commission and we expect to meet it to brief it on progress in the coming weeks.

The Deputy and Deputies Andrews and Bacik referred to bathing water. Quite significant of work has been done in that regard in the context of Dublin Bay. We are continuing to make substantial progress. We had a very good project: Acclimatize, which was run between Dublin local authorities and UCD and the University of Aberystwyth in Wales whereby we looked at where we can partner in. The Liffey Sweeper, which sounds like he could be playing for Bohemians, sounds like it could be could be a good candidate for the local biodiversity action fund by way of funding support.

I appreciate the comments from all Deputies where we will work together on this and I believe that this is critically important.

Deputy Matthews referred to THMs. Again, Uisce Éireann is working to resolve issues relating to THMs across the country. Many Deputies have spoken about nitrogen and about agricultural run-off. This is something that we want to work on and address in partnership with the farming community.

Deputy O’Reilly raised the issue of Balbriggan bathing water quality and the deterioration there. I will be working with my colleague, the Minister of State, Deputy Joe O’Brien, on that. By way of update, the Uisce Éireann's drainage area plan for Balbriggan was to progress works in 2023 to identify the problems in the sewer network and to fix them. There will be an upgrade of the Quay Street pumping station and Fingal County Council have carried out misconnection investigations in 2022, as well as working on issues of dog fouling. Quite a significant amount of work is going on there.

Deputy Cian O’Callaghan raised the issue of the draft river basin management plan. The plan is not weak. We are ensuring that it is going to be as strong and as collaborative a plan as it can be.

Deputy Joan Collins raised the issue of Thames Water in the UK. I agree wholeheartedly with her. What happened there certainly highlights the complete folly of privatisation. Uisce Éireann is a wholly publicly owned utility and will remain that way. There will be a referendum on water and I want to give that assurance here.

Deputy Murnane O’Connor raised the issue of St. Luke's General Hospital and of bottled water. I do not know what the reason is for that. The municipal water supply in Kilkenny is excellent. I do not know what the rationale is for that.

The boil water notices in Castlecomer put in place on 16 December 2022 were lifted in January and reimposed on February 27 as a result of turbidity issues. Uisce Éireann is working to resolve those issues. As I have said, we are in the process of addressing the issues relating to registration of septic tanks.

A number of Members also raised the Citizens’ Assembly on Biodiversity Loss. It is in the context of the interrelatedness of all of these actions and of this work that we are trying to move forward.

There are many challenges faced by water quality and these are getting more challenging in the context of a changing climate where high rainfall and flooding can lead to the mobilisation of pollutants, and droughts can change the mechanism for loss of contaminants into water bodies. This Government shares the concerns of the EPA regarding the overall trends in water quality and is committed to addressing the issues it has highlighted. Both the national CAP Strategic Plan 2023-2027 and the Fifth Nitrates Action Programme 2022-2025 have very significantly strengthened the requirements on farms to manage nitrogen and phosphorous fertilisers and organic manures. The new nitrates action programme is significantly strengthened in comparison with the previous programme with reductions in chemical fertiliser use, the introduction of banding for cattle excretion rates and increased compliance assurance and inspections.

This programme is currently undergoing a mid-term review.

The new European Innovation Partnership projects under the CAP strategic plan will also help support farmers, while the continuation and expansion of schemes such as ACRES will provide expert knowledge and assistance in water management and protection.

The Government’s substantial and sustained investment in water services is vital to: ensure the continued operation, repair and upgrade of Ireland’s water and wastewater infrastructure; improve water quality; ensure compliance with EU directives; and build resilience in the face of climate change.

Uisce Éireann manages all aspects of water and wastewater services planning and is responsible for the planning, delivery and operation of all public treatment plants. I agree with Deputy Fitzmaurice that the Government is eager to see faster progress on the delivery of important wastewater projects wherever this is possible. Budget 2023 provided for €1.56 billion for Uisce Éireann to meet the cost of domestic water services. This includes €878 million of capital funding, which is critical to enhance the ongoing significant improvements in our public water and wastewater services, and to support the delivery of housing as committed to in Housing for All.

The overall pressure on water from Uisce Éireann’s treatment plants has been improving with positive performance reported on EU directive compliance and on EPA priority areas for action, as recounted in the EPA’s most recent urban wastewater report published in 2022. The Government is committed to supporting the capital funding of Uisce Éireann and the continued evolution of the company into a world-class utility. However, I agree that the pace of delivery here needs to continue to improve.

The rural water working group will shortly complete a review of the composition of the measures to be included for funding under the upcoming multi-annual rural water programme. Details of the programme and its priorities, along with an invitation to local authorities to submit applications for funding, are expected to be announced in the coming weeks.

In April 2022, funding for a new measure for the wastewater collection and treatment needs of villages and settlements that do not have access to public wastewater services was launched. A total of 23 applications were received from 13 local authorities by the closing date in September 2022. The independent expert panel produced a report on completion of the evaluation process and it is expected that recommendations for funding will be made shortly.

A review of the rural water sector is also being conducted by the rural water working group. The review is considering issues such as governance, supervision and monitoring of the sector. In addition, it is considering investment priorities across all elements of rural water services. This review is intended to ensure equality of outcomes between Uisce Éireann and non-Uisce Éireann customers. Initiatives and programmes such as those I have outlined show that this Government is committed to investing in the improvement of water quality in rural areas.

The Government has also worked to introduce significant legislation in the area of water protection. The Water Environment (Abstractions and Associated Impoundments) Act 2022 was signed into law by President Higgins in December 2022. This Act modernises the legal framework governing abstractions and provides for a system for licensing large or environmentally significant abstractions, while also providing a system for their registration. Work has commenced on the drafting of the regulations associated with the Act, and engagement with the EPA on the technical requirements has begun. The regulations, which will be published towards the end of this year, will contribute to the quantitative and qualitative maintenance and improvement of our water environment.

The Government is also promoting the use of innovative practices, such as the implementation of nature-based solutions at a national scale to address the pressures from urban run-off, such as increased rainfall patterns due to climate change, a matter raised by a number of Deputies. Nature-based solutions bring diverse nature and natural features and processes into cities and urban areas, thereby benefiting biodiversity and supporting the delivery of a range of ecosystem services.

A pilot project funded by my Department commenced last year with Cork and Dublin City Councils to investigate how nature-based solutions can be used to address urban run-off pressures. This project will look at a number of sites where a 24-month monitoring study will be undertaken.

The EU’s proposed nature restoration law has been the subject of negative criticism in recent weeks, and the rewetting proposals in particular have been the subject of divisive commentary. Rewetting is not sterilising the land nor is it flooding the land. Agriculture can continue to be productive under rewetting. There are already really good examples across the country that show how such initiatives can have a positive impact on our environment. I know Deputy Fitzmaurice and I share this view.

As I have already emphasised, the issue of water quality should not be classed as a battle between the competing aims of the environmentalist and the farmer, or as a symptom of a divide between rural and urban, but rather as a rallying call to help us to refocus and redouble our efforts. We must build trust between opposing viewpoints so that we have a consensus upon which we can build to help protect and restore the quality of our water for this and future generations.

See this speech in context