Holly Cairns (Cork South West, Social Democrats)
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The latest Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, report on wastewater has highlighted major issues with poorly treated sewage continuing to harm the quality of our rivers, lakes and coastal waters. The damage the report reveals is being done to our waters is incredibly worrying. Some 51% of Ireland's sewage was treated to the European standard set to protect our environment, well below the EU average of 90%. There are areas across the country that failed the EU treatment standards, but half of them are in Cork: Clonakilty and Kinsale, in my constituency, as well as Carrigaline, Cobh, Rathcormack and Mitchelstown. Then there are the 32 areas where raw sewage is just being discharged into rivers and the sea, including Castletownsend, in Cork South-West. Unless they lived in or visited these areas, I think most people would find it unimaginable that in 2022, we are still dumping raw sewage directly into our waters.

This is symptomatic of underinvestment in water infrastructure. There are many issues Irish Water needs to address but the Minister cannot pass the buck. Issues with wastewater treatment are one of the major matters I deal with in my office, from the lack of a proper support system in Shannon Vale to malodours from wastewater treatment plants in Kinsale, Castletownbere and Belgooly. Each time I bring this up here or ask a parliamentary question, I am told it is the responsibility of Irish Water, allowing the Minister to wash his hands of the matter. That is not good enough because, ultimately, the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage has responsibility for water quality.

This hypocrisy was most clear earlier in the year, when the Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, visited Shannon Vale to see the impact of the lack of proper infrastructure. A formerly beautiful park in the centre of the village is now a dangerous and polluted area due to the inadequate wastewater system.

I tried to ask a parliamentary question following the Minister's visit but it was disallowed because he apparently has no responsibility for Irish Water. The Minister was implying to the community that he could do something about the issue while apparently having no role in resolving it afterwards.

Irish Water has an operational function but the issues raised in the EPA report relate to capital investment, which is definitely the Government's responsibility. It clearly states that based on current investment levels, it will take at least two decades to get all treatment facilities up to standards. The EPA has found that it will take a multibilllion euro investment and, based on current investment levels, at least two decades to get all treatment systems up to standard. That is simply unacceptable.

Some areas in Ireland are looking at the release of wastewater below health and environmental standards well into the 2040s. There is a clear need for accelerated investment. Each year, the EPA produces these reports and there is slow progress but this is shockingly slow. New plans such as Castletownbere have come online but they have their own problems. I have to once again point out the importance of investment in public services such as education, disability services, healthcare and now, water services, rather than giving tax cuts to wealthier people. Every year, the Government chooses not to invest in water infrastructure and it is another year that our waters are polluted.

This report only deals with wastewater. It does not mention the areas in Cork South-West and throughout the country where drinking water facilities are at capacity. Will the Minister of State provide the necessary funding to help communities such as Kinsale, Clonakilty and Castletownbere?

Malcolm Noonan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Green Party)
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I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue on the EPA's urban wastewater treatment in 2021 report. Having a well-functioning and resilient wastewater treatment infrastructure that will protect our environment is an issue of national importance and I appreciate the Deputy's concern in this matter.

Since 1 January 2014, Irish Water has had statutory responsibility for all aspects of water services planning, delivery and operation at national, regional and local levels. Irish Water's primary function is to provide clean, safe drinking water to customers and to treat and return wastewater safely to the environment. In turn, the EPA holds Irish Water to account for its environmental performance. The EPA is responsible for monitoring and enforcing compliance with the necessary quality standards for the collection and treatment of wastewater discharges.

As part of budget 2023, we secured funding of more than €1.65 billion to support water services, with €1.56 billion of this allocated to Irish Water. This overall investment will deliver significant improvements in our public water and wastewater infrastructure. In 2021, Irish Water invested €367 million in wastewater, which is the highest annual level to date.

Many serious challenges remain which will take significant investment, as the Deputy pointed out. The EPA has identified in this report the priority areas where Irish Water must target its available resources to deliver improvements where they are most needed and will bring the greatest environmental benefits. Irish Water is also working to ensure that new capacity is made available for housing and commercial development.

Irish Water's investment will deliver significant improvements in our public water and wastewater services, support improved water supplies throughout Ireland, including rural Ireland, and support a range of programmes to deliver improved water quality in our rivers, lakes and marine area. It is key to addressing Ireland's shortcomings in water and wastewater infrastructure, including compliance with the urban wastewater treatment directive.

Some 93% of Ireland's public wastewater plants are compliant with the urban wastewater treatment directive. The vast majority - 90% - of the total wastewater load that is not yet in compliance with the directive requirements comes from one treatment area, namely, the Ringsend wastewater treatment plant which serves Dublin and the surrounding area. Irish Water is investing more than €500 million in the staged upgrading of Ringsend wastewater treatment plant, which will deliver the capacity to treat the wastewater for a population equivalent of 2.4 million people, while achieving the standards of the urban wastewater treatment directive, by 2025. Irish Water also has plans in place to address any outstanding issues at the remaining non-compliant plants. Some 40% of the 90% of sewage about which the Deputy spoke comes from Ringsend, which will be brought up to standard by 2025.

Since 2014, Irish Water has eliminated 60%, by volume, of all raw sewage discharges through targeted investment in new sewage infrastructure and is on target to eliminate nearly all of the remainder by 2025. This work represents investment in 21 areas where there was no sewage treatment before.

Urban wastewater pressures are impacting on 208 water bodies. This equates to 4% of water bodies, nationally, where urban wastewater improvement measures are required to achieve water framework directive objectives. Works are complete to address urban wastewater pressures on 12 water bodies and projects are progressing in 61 further water bodies. Another 63 water bodies have assessments under way and for the remaining 72 water bodies, assessments will be initiated in a rolling programme to be completed by 2029.

Collection networks will also need to be improved and adapted to a changing climate. However, these projects are complex, especially in cities, and will therefore take considerably longer to address. The number of areas on the EPA's priority action list has been reduced by one third since 2017. Irish Water has a plan to complete works at all plants on the list by 2030. We have a river basin management plan with public consultation that has to be ambitious. With regard to the pressures that we are seeing on receiving bodies of water, the issue of urban wastewater is reducing and agriculture has taken over as the most significant factor. Significant improvements are being made but I absolutely accept the Deputy's points that are still outstanding.

Holly Cairns (Cork South West, Social Democrats)
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Unfortunately, that is the exact stock answer I have come to expect. This is a pressing health and environmental issue. Raw sewage and poorly treated wastewater impact on local ecology and has public health implications. Wastewater in Kinsale and Clonakilty, two of Ireland's major tourist destinations, has failed to meet EU treatment standards and raw sewage is being discharged into picturesque Castletownsend.

These areas need Government investment, rather than the Minister of State passing the buck to Irish Water. The Government needs to provide the investment and then meet with Irish Water management to ensure that the projects are prioritised. The EPA report clearly warns that, at current rates, we are still decades away from resolving this issue. The problem is even more nuanced as the new plant in Castletownbere, similar to ones in Kinsale and Belgooly, regularly have malodours coming from it. Castletownbere is being held as an example of success in this report and by Irish Water in the media afterwards, when it is awful for locals. This gives an example of where we are at.

Related to this are the exorbitant connection costs. At-standard cost for a single household is almost €2,300. It is even more depending on the length of the connection and SMEs can pay multiples of that. It is just nonsensical to spend millions on a treatment plant and then have families be unable to afford to connect to it. That comes down to funding and not Irish Water.

The least we should be able to expect from the State is a safe and dependable water system that can guarantee safe drinking water and a healthy environment. That should be a Government priority and not an issue to just pass on to Irish Water. Communities throughout Cork South-West and the country need investment. It is up to the Government to provide that.

Malcolm Noonan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Green Party)
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I agree wholeheartedly with the Deputy. It is certainly not the case that we are talking about decades. We cannot take decades. It has to be resolved. Irish Water has plans in place for the 32 areas that were assigned in the EPA report. Those plans will be brought forward. The Government has brought in record investment over the past number of years. We are front-loading that investment. It is critically important we do so from a human health perspective, a biodiversity perspective and with regard to development of these small urban settlements.

If there are specific issues, which I know the Deputy has brought to the attention of the Minister, we will certainly work with Irish Water on them. The Minister has been deeply committed to ensuring that we achieve these targets and to holding Irish Water to account to ensure it will meet those targets. We accept there has been historic underinvestment by successive Governments but that investment is being addressed. The structural issues around Irish Water and the establishment are being addressed. I have a hand in the river basin management plans. We have to make sure that we get these water bodies up to a good standard. It is critically important, from all of these perspectives, that we address the issue.

I am aware of the issues around Clonakilty and other parts of west Cork that have to be addressed and which may have come under increasing pressure, especially during the tourism season in the summer months. Capacity has to be built in and future-proofed. We will continue to work with Irish Water on that. The EPA report is very useful in highlighting where the challenges. We are confident that Irish Water has the capacity and the ability to address the challenges, especially for these smaller settlements, which are equally as important as the Ringsend plant or those in any of the larger urban settlements.