Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)

I thank all of the Deputies. A comprehensive number spoke in respect of the responsibilities of Irish Water, particularly in terms of wastewater treatment plants and flood relief schemes.

Deputy 'Chap' Cleere raised the issue of a series of flood relief schemes in his constituency. I do not know why the planning process should take two years and that is something we need to analyse further but measures will come to Government in respect of critical infrastructure in the next number of weeks. Flood relief schemes are taking too long because the urgency is very real.

Given the worsening climate, we have more frequent storms and rainfall that is heavier and comes in short bursts and that is creating huge pressure on our systems. I have been to many flooding scenes where the devastation is appalling and negatively impacts on households and businesses. We then have consequential compensation schemes and everything we try to do to alleviate the pressure but there is nothing worse than being the victim of a flooding incident. I will take a look at those schemes and talk to the Minister of State with responsibility for the OPW, Deputy Moran, to see how we can accelerate this. We are also looking at a critical infrastructure Bill and will see whether we can include wastewater and flood relief schemes.

Deputy Aindrias Moynihan raised the derogation and I fully agree with him that retaining the derogation is vital for farm families and for the food production system and the dairy industry. We need a sustainable farming industry but farmers are working with us on various water improvement schemes under the European Union framework and have being doing a lot to measure and assess this work. I have had discussions with the President of the European Commission explaining the unique position in Ireland because we have a pasture-based system that is outdoors more than indoors. Most other European systems are indoors. The Minister for agriculture, Deputy Heydon, has been working with Commissioner Roswall, who came to Ireland last week. She met farmers in Kildare and saw first-hand the measures we are taking to make farming and agriculture more sustainable. We know farmers do need to know. I take the Deputy's point in respect of other contributors to waste and I met representatives of Irish Water recently in the context of the Cabinet subcommittee meeting. Representatives from the Environmental Protection Agency were there as well. In my view, Irish Water has to get it right in respect of its own actions. It cannot contribute negatively to water quality, being a water body itself, nor can local authorities. They also certainly need to step up to the plate in protecting our waterways.

Deputy Murphy raised the issue of Balrothery estate in terms of sewerage overflow. Again, I will talk to Irish Water in respect of where that is at. We have allocated unprecedented resources to Irish Water as a result of the national development plan and we have given it multi-annual funding. Irish Water knows what its funding will be for the next five years, which should enable staff to get on, to plan and do things. There is a lot of work to be done. Our population is growing exponentially, and has grown during the past two decades. That is creating pressure on water services. What will be important as well, for those who correctly referenced wastewater treatment plants, is that we have to try to create a narrative and a consensus in society not to object to wastewater treatment plants, to their upgrade or to supply projects. An awful lot of these projects are getting snarled up in planning and being delayed for far too long. What is happening in the preparation of the schemes, stage III to stage IV, is that everybody is dotting the i's and crossing the t's because they are anticipating an objection or a judicial review so they want to make sure they can be resilient in the face of a court case being heard or a judicial review of a decision taken during the planning process. What we are getting is a very slow process in getting projects through. We will have to deal with that and the Government is determined to deal with that because we have to push ahead. Even on a small issue like apartment guidelines, and we had it earlier this afternoon during Leaders' Questions, we get public representatives judicially reviewing regulation. Then people complain about things not moving. We cannot have it our own way, every way, but that is a general comment on where we are and it is important.

Deputies Ó Murchú and McGreehan correctly articulated all of our shock and horror at the devastating accident in Louth. Five young lives were lost. They were going out for a nice evening. We are all parents and we are all afraid of something like that happening when our young people go out and so on and we all want them to come home. On this occasion, they did not come home and the impacts on the parents are beyond comprehension. It is very difficult for them. We hope the beautiful memories they had with their young children will sustain them in the time ahead. I thank the Deputies for raising this in the House.

In regard to Deputy McGuinness's contribution, I will talk to Irish Water. I cannot get involved in every single case. This relates to two houses. Surely the county council and Irish Water should knock heads together and get that issue sorted if the water mains are 500 m away.

Deputy Heneghan has left the Chamber. He has gone with the swimmers; I would say they are gone too. Deputy Boyd Barrett raised the issue of Dublin Bay as well. It is a very serious issue. E.coli levels are too high and when there is heavy rain. people cannot swim. That is not satisfactory. I am back to the issue that we need wastewater treatment plants. The whole Dublin water project is being judicially reviewed. The Arklow wastewater treatment plant was conceived at the same time as the Dublin scheme. It has opened - I opened it - and the Dublin scheme has not even gotten off the ground. There are other projects of that kind we need to get off the ground and to get going. The points were well made by Deputies Boyd Barrett and Heneghan in that regard.

In terms of the drinking water regulation and the 500 households, again it is a specific issue and I will talk to Irish Water in respect of that.

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