Terence Flanagan (Dublin North East, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State, Deputy Coffey, for his presence here to deal with this issue. Like many of my constituents in Dublin Bay North, I have major concerns about the presence of lead in the water supply. Many of those people are concerned about the negative health effects of lead in the water, in particular that the consumption of lead can affect brain development in young children. Babies in the womb are most at risk according to the HSE and the Environmental Protection Agency. It is an issue that is being raised frequently on the doorsteps in Dublin Bay North.

We know that lead was predominantly used in service connections to buildings and in internal plumbing up to the 1970s. The maximum allowable limit which was 50 micrograms per litre in 2003 was reduced to 10 micrograms per litre in December 2013. It is very unfair that we are asking householders to pay water charges when they are getting the advice that their water is not fit for consumption and they are advised to run their taps for a considerable length of time to flush out their supply before consumption. The Government needs to consider this when it comes to charging people who find themselves in this unfortunate situation.

Some households in Raheny and Clontarf in particular have lead levels far in excess of the EU limit. In one house on Watermill Drive it was measured at 825 micrograms per litre which was massively over the limit of 10 micrograms per litre. People are rightly concerned about their and their children's health. They want the matter addressed urgently by Government. The residents' committee in St Anne's estate in Dublin Bay North has contacted the Minister to seek a meeting. It is doing everything to help the local residents. The Minister might see it fit to meet those residents who seem to have the highest level of lead in their water supply.

Barry Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Last week the Minister, Deputy Kelly, informed us that up to 200,000 houses were taking water through lead pipes and that the content of lead contaminating water is at a level that requires those pipes to be replaced. He assured the public that he had prepared and would shortly announce a programme of rectification which would be funded in part-grant form, similar to the septic tank grant qualification method and said funding would be available from January.

On the face of it, this seemed positive, but past experience convinced me to check it out. I raised this issue in June 2014 following the Government's decision to proceed with Irish Water along the lines of Fine Gael's 2009 NewERA document. The then Minister, Commissioner Hogan, had given the distinct impression that a first-fix policy was inclusive of all possibilities. When I asked for confirmation about lead pipes, the answer was not quite forthcoming, possibly because we were facing into a charging scenario that would not be along the lines of €400, €500 or €600 per house and so Irish Water felt it would not have such an extensive first-fix policy.

Last Wednesday I attended Irish Water's clinic in the House with some specific questions further to what the Minister had said. For example, I asked a senior Irish Water official to outline the methodology used to arrive at the figure of 200,000. Was there any scientific basis for the figure? Was there any breakdown of pre-1962 buildings? Was there any breakdown on the villages, towns and cities which have predominantly pre-1962 mixed-use buildings with lead piping? The senior Irish Water official told me there was no scientific basis and no specific methodology was used even though there was ample time and notice of this predicament.

I then asked if there was any correlation between this figure and the metering programme, because the Minister had specifically said it was related. I had feared that was an attempt to justify the €540 million that had been spent on the metering programme with no obvious benefit in the immediate or near future. The answer again was "No".

On the basis of a senior official disputing what the Minister had said, what proposals is he putting to Cabinet in the absence of any methodology or scientific basis for the argument over the amount of pipes that need rectification? That being the case, how can he give a commitment to the people that funding will be in place next January when he has no indication of the extent of that funding, considering he wants to use the methodology used for the septic-tank grant system?

Paudie Coffey (Waterford, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputies for the opportunity to outline the position on the matter, which I am taking on behalf of the Minister, Deputy Kelly.

With effect from 1 January 2014, Irish Water has been responsible for public water services. Under the European Union (Drinking Water) Regulation 2014, a copy of which is available in the Oireachtas Library, suppliers of drinking water are required to ensure that the water supplied complies with the chemical and microbiological parameters set out in the regulations. The maximum allowable value for lead is 10 micrograms per litre, which came into effect in December 2013.

The Environmental Protection Agency is the supervisory authority with responsibility for monitoring Irish Water's compliance with the drinking water regulations. In the event of non-compliance with the quality standards set out in the regulations, the water supplier will investigate the cause in consultation with the EPA and, if a potential risk to human health exists, with the Health Service Executive, to ensure that the appropriate remedial action is taken. A case-by-case approach will be considered by Irish Water, in line with its statutory responsibilities and in recognition of the statutory responsibilities of the HSE and the EPA.

I understand that lead exceedances in the Dublin Bay North constituency have been reported to the EPA arising from samples taken at individual private dwellings. The EPA has indicated to my Department that in each case its investigations have concluded that the appropriate actions were taken and advice was given to the householders concerned. No water restriction has issued under the drinking water regulations to consumers in either of the areas in question.

Irish Water has informed my Department that, having over recent months replaced the approximately 2 km of water mains which contained lead, no part of its estimated 60,000 km of distribution system now contains lead. However, there are a significant number of lead public service pipes between the water mains and the customer stopcock or water meter. Irish Water is identifying the location of such lead service connections during the meter installation programme.

The number of houses currently identified as affected stands at 5%, but this figure is expected to be higher in town centre areas. Irish Water also estimates that there may be a further 30,000 to 40,000 houses with shared lead backyard service connections and it has informed my Department that it intends to invest in public lead pipe replacement schemes, primarily service pipes, including shared backyard service connections, over the next ten years. Irish Water is also reviewing its water treatment processes to ensure it can mitigate the risk in the short term. In line with the provisions of the Water Services Act 2007, responsibility for the maintenance and replacement of the water mains and public side service pipes to the boundary of the property lies with Irish Water or the water supplier, while the owner of a premises is responsible for the maintenance from the boundary, including the internal plumbing.

Last week, the Government approved a national strategy to reduce exposure to lead in drinking water. The strategy was prepared by my Department in consultation with the Department of Health, Irish Water, the HSE and the EPA to assess the scale of the problem and identify measures to mitigate any risks to human health posed by lead in drinking water. Following consultation with the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, the Minister, Deputy Kelly, will announce details of a grant scheme to assist low-income households with the replacement of lead pipes in their homes and he expects that householders will be able to avail of grants later this year.

Terence Flanagan (Dublin North East, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for his response. Families who find themselves in this situation, particularly those with young children, are very concerned about the quality of the drinking water coming into their homes and they require help urgently. A residents committee from the St. Anne's estate, set up to provide information on this situation to householders, contacted the Minister in January asking if it would be possible for an alternative water supply to be provided to their area until such time as the new pipes have been installed and that all of the water in their area, which had the highest reading of 825 micrograms per litre, be tested. Will the Minister meet the committee from the St. Anne's estate in an effort to set their minds at ease?

Replacement of lead pipes is expected to cost €5,000, which is a substantial amount. Not every family has that amount of money. While I welcome the proposed introduction of a grant scheme, as an income limit of €75,000 per household applies, not every household will qualify for the grant. While I accept that Irish Water proposes to replace all lead piping over a ten-year period, any householder who undertakes replacement of pipes servicing their homes will still face problems from the public side because work in that regard might not be completed for up to ten years. Can the Minister of State provide any reassurance to the families concerned?

Barry Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I, too, thank the Minister of State for his response, on foot of which I have further question. In regard to the Minister's statement that the Government has approved a national strategy to deal with this issue on foot of the scale of the problem having been quantified by various Departments in conjunction with the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government, will the Government publish the methodology and scientific basis of that quantification? Perhaps then we would get a indication of what level of funding the Government is providing in the coming year to deal with this issue.

In regard to the grant assistance scheme, in particular in relation to septic tanks, if a constituent comes to me and tells me that his septic tank is overflowing and that it is possibly polluting the watercourse, which, because there is an underground water source in my county, is very possible, I will inform him that a grant scheme has been introduced by Government in respect of which he must apply to the local authority. If, following application to the local authority, he is refused the grant on the basis that to qualify for it his water supply must first fail a test initiated by the local authority on foot of the Government's instruction and he then asks that that test be carried out, the authority might refuse to do so on the basis that the test is only carried out on supply drawn by lots. While there might be 5,000 registered septic tanks in the county of Offaly, only ten inspections will take place. This is akin to having to match six numbers in the lotto to have a test carried out in the first instance before being eligible to apply for the grant. Irish Water has washed its hands of this. If in the scenario outlined there is no grant available, who will pay? The public will eventually pay because Irish Water, the local authorities and the Government are not doing anything to prevent this happening. This is the result of the preparation that went into the establishment of Irish Water in the first instance, prior to which responsibility for all matters such as this lay with the local authorities. To say that things have improved is, unfortunately, not the case. I hope a great deal more thought will be put into any proposal in relation to grant aid to deal with this issue in order that it might actually do what it says on the tin.

Paudie Coffey (Waterford, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

While not wishing to engage in political point-scoring across the House, this is another legacy issue with which this Government has had to deal. These lead pipes have been in existence for generations. Unfortunately, there has been no investigation heretofore of the level now under way, which is a great pity. The matter is now being addressed. I am sure Deputies opposite and all Deputies will welcome that the Minister has given a commitment to introduce a grant scheme to assist low-income households in replacing lead piping.

With effect from 1 January 2014 Irish Water has statutory responsibility for all aspects of public water services planning, delivery and operation and national, regional and local levels, including the delivery of the water services capital infrastructure. Irish Water has indicated that its records show that there is no lead water mains in the system and, therefore, the drinking water leaving treatment plants and distributed to the public water mains meets the requirements of the drinking water regulations in relation to lead. As part of its metering programme, Irish Water has identified significant numbers of lead service connections between the public mains and the customer stopcock and water meter. Irish Water is committed to replacing these over time.

In the case of privately owned premises, the property owners are responsible for maintenance of the internal plumbing. In a joint position paper on lead, published by the Environmental Protection Agency and Health Service Executive in 2013, it is recommended that all lead pipes and plumbing in public and private ownership be replaced over time. The Water Services Act 2007 provides that the owner of a premises is responsible for the maintenance and renewal of the internal water distribution system. A key objective of the national strategy to which I referred is to raise public awareness of potential public health issues arising from the risk of lead in drinking water. As part of that strategy, I will be establishing a new grant scheme to assist low-income households in replacing lead pipes in their homes. The scheme will be administered by the local authorities and be in line with drinking water regulations. The available resources will be prioritised to those areas of highest risk, which is only fair. Funding in 2016 for this measure will be finalised in the context of the coming budget.