Andrew Doyle (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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When I read the report on this matter in the newspaper yesterday I was alarmed. I raise it not to scaremonger, but because it is our duty as public representatives and legislators to ensure confidence in our statutory agencies. The Fine Gael Party has proposed the amalgamation or dissolution of some of the statutory agencies, but has never included the Food Safety Authority of Ireland, FSAI, among these. By definition, it is a body we need, but we must have confidence in it.

There is a lack of accountability in the way the agency reports its workings to the public and public representatives. It is not acceptable that a draft report was left on a shelf somewhere for 12 months. We were told by the FSAI yesterday that action had been taken. That may be the case and there may be no reason for concern with regard to any bottled water. However, that would have been comforting to know when Galway City Council was putting boil notices in place and supplying people with bottled water. Was the Galway City Council aware of which brands were on the list identified as being contaminated? Is there even that level of communication between the FSAI and local authorities?

The level of e.coli contamination of 6.3% compares very badly with imported water. Is the problem that there is ground water contamination in springs that are supposed to be pure and healthy? Why is it that still water has a much higher incidence of contamination than sparkling water? There are questions to be answered in this regard. The bottled water industry here was worth €205 million last year, with approximately 38 litres per person being consumed. Such consumption was unheard of 20 years ago. This is a growth sector of our food industry and it would be a shame if public confidence in our water was lost. Whenever I go to the filling station for fuel, I buy still water to have in the car. It would be a shame if people lost confidence in this area of the food sector.

The FSAI has been almost indignant about any questioning, by me or the Irish Independent, of the way it does its business. Some years ago the Irish Blood Transfusion Service had no public representatives on its board and we lamented that fact. I do not want to be alarmist, but the only way these agencies have of reporting to us is through all-party committees. We need to examine the structure of these agencies and consider whether absolute independence without any political participation at board level is desirable or whether it would be better to have some level of monitoring by public representatives of each of these agencies.

If our only recourse for calling them to account is through an all-party committee, we get our answers too late. We are not involved in the day-to-day workings, but we should be more firmly involved in the way they do their business. This incident only serves to highlight this. It is a matter of genuine public concern that a report that highlights this level of contamination in what is seen as a pure, clean product has gone unreported for 12 months.

Mary Wallace (Meath East, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Deputy for raising this matter as it provides us with an opportunity to outline to the House the position in this regard.

The Food Safety Authority of Ireland has advised that no public health and safety implications arise from the draft report on bottled water. The report, currently being finalised, provides an historical account of the extent of compliance with the regulations on bottled waters on sale in Ireland during the final four months of 2007.

The FSAI carries out several surveys on different products on an annual basis. During 2007, such a survey was conducted in the area of bottled water. The report outlines the results of this survey. During the course of these surveys, appropriate action is taken in the event of the identification of any goods not compliant with existing legislation. Where public health is at risk, the details are made public immediately. In this case, however, the FSAI considered that there was no risk to public health.

The survey showed that a number of products were not in full compliance with the bottled water regulations. The report gives a snapshot of bottled water on the market in 2007, where a number of samples — ten out of 952 or 1% — were detected with very low levels of e.coli. In 99% of cases, the samples were found to be compliant. The FSAI considers that the presence of e. coli at such levels does not pose a threat to public health. Coliforms were found in 6.3% of bottled water samples. These are bacteria used to assess the standards of hygiene of the water source or the bottling process. The FSAI view is that the presence of coliforms in bottled water does not necessarily indicate a risk to consumer health.

No products were deemed to have been unsafe during the course of the surveillance period. In addition, industry measures to improve the quality of affected products were taken quickly. The FSAI did not consider it necessary, therefore, to take stronger enforcement action. This is in line with normal practice and proportionate to the nature of the non-compliance detected. This is also consistent with the FSAI working to develop an Irish food safety culture of commitment rather than one of mere compliance.

While the FSAI deemed that there was no threat to public health, follow-up actions were taken to ensure full compliance of all products with the bottled water regulations. Environmental health officers conducted follow-up sampling, on an ongoing basis. No problems were found during the first six months of 2008. The FSAI has assured the public that there is no cause for concern about the safety of bottled waters on the Irish market.

The FSAI report will be published in its entirety during the next couple of weeks when the scientific review process is complete.