Peter Cleere (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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1. To ask the Taoiseach for an update on the establishment of a Cabinet committee on water quality to co-ordinate water quality improvements across all sectors; and when it will hold its first meeting. [1685/25]

Ryan O'Meara (Tipperary North, Fianna Fail)
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2. To ask the Taoiseach for an update on the establishment of a Cabinet committee on water quality to coordinate water quality improvements across all sectors; and when it will hold its first meeting. [4431/25]

Albert Dolan (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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3. To ask the Taoiseach for an update on the establishment of a Cabinet committee on water quality to co-ordinate water quality improvements across all sectors; and when it will hold its first meeting. [4437/25]

Tony McCormack (Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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4. To ask the Taoiseach for an update on the establishment of a Cabinet committee on water quality to co-ordinate water quality improvements across all sectors; and when it will hold its first meeting. [4440/25]

Martin Daly (Roscommon-Galway, Fianna Fail)
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5. To ask the Taoiseach for an update on the establishment of a Cabinet committee on water quality to co-ordinate water quality improvements across all sectors; and when it will hold its first meeting. [4452/25]

Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein)
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6. To ask the Taoiseach if he will provide an update on the Cabinet committee on water quality [6037/25]

Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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7. To ask the Taoiseach for an update on the establishment of a Cabinet committee on water quality. [6086/25]

Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, Solidarity)
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8. To ask the Taoiseach for an update on the establishment of a Cabinet committee on water quality. [6090/25]

Eamon Scanlon (Sligo-Leitrim, Fianna Fail)
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9. To ask the Taoiseach for an update on the establishment of a Cabinet committee on water quality to co-ordinate water quality improvements across all sectors; and when it will hold its first meeting. [6489/25]

Michael Cahill (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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10. To ask the Taoiseach for an update on the establishment of a Cabinet committee on water quality to co-ordinate water quality improvements across all sectors; and when it will hold its first meeting. [7230/25]

Ivana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour)
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11. To ask the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on water quality will next meet. [7360/25]

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions No. 1 to 11, inclusive, together.

The Programme for Government 2025, Securing Ireland’s Future, recognises the importance of Cabinet committees to the policy development and oversight work of Government and commits to the establishment of a reformed structure of Cabinet committees. The Government followed through on that commitment, part of which was the establishment of the Cabinet committee on water quality to co-ordinate water quality improvements across all sectors. The membership will comprise the Taoiseach, the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and for Defence, the Ministers for Finance, for Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform, for Agriculture, Food and the Marine and Housing, Local Government and Heritage and the Minister for Social Protection and for Rural and Community Development.

Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, data for 2023 shows that Irish water quality, while improving in some areas, is a matter of ongoing concern and requires concerted effort to achieve the improvement that we seek. The Government acknowledges that a more focused effort is required to reach our water quality objectives. Last year, the Government published the water action plan 2024, Ireland’s roadmap to protect and restore our rivers, lakes, estuaries, coastal waters and groundwaters. The plan aims to have an additional 300 water bodies achieve a status of good by 2027, with targeted measures to improve more than 500 more. It includes a multibillion euro investment in wastewater infrastructure, strengthened action on nitrates and a focus on compliance and enforcement. The community water development fund for 2025 will also provide financial supports to local projects and initiatives.

In addition to the Water Action Plan 2024, last year the Government published Water and Agriculture - a collaborative approach, a plan which sets out a range of measures that address the twin objectives of improving water quality and building a convincing case for the maintenance of Ireland's derogation from certain aspects of the European Union's nitrates directive.

Ireland's water faces a number of pressures, including from agriculture, forestry, land use change and wastewater treatment.

It is intended that the Cabinet committee will provide a focus to drive the improvement in water quality generally, while ensuring efforts are undertaken in partnership with farmers. It will be important to safeguard the economic contribution farmers are making in the areas most affected by the derogation as well to implement workable solutions to lower the agricultural impact on water quality. The Cabinet committee will meet shortly for the first time.

Peter Cleere (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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I welcome the establishment of this new Cabinet committee. I will focus on the nitrates derogation. As the Taoiseach will be aware, the current derogation concludes at the end of 2025 and Irish water quality improvement is vital for another derogation to be secured. Does he agree that we can retain Ireland's nitrates derogation while improving our water quality? Will he reject the idea that there is a conflict between having a strong agrifood sector and meeting these goals? Consultation is key. Will the Taoiseach engage with farmers, industry, State agencies and local authorities around the country, including in my constituency, Carlow-Kilkenny, to develop evidence-based solutions to assist farmers in improving water quality?

Ryan O'Meara (Tipperary North, Fianna Fail)
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My question also relates to the nitrates derogation and it being essential that we maintain the level of 220 kg N/ha. When agriculture does well in rural Ireland, the rural economy does well. Our young farmers in particular need certainty about the future of the industry, particularly in respect of investment, generational renewal and them being able to see a real income from agriculture going forward. Maintaining the 220 kg N/ha derogation is essential to that. Therefore, my question is simple. Will the Taoiseach confirm that the Government is committed to the 200 kg N/ha derogation?

Albert Dolan (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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The nitrates derogation is vital to the viability of family farms into the future and to ensuring their productivity in my constituency of Galway East. The programme for Government clearly commits to retaining the nitrates derogation. That said, we have rising nitrates levels, legacy issues with old housing estates and boil water notices are becoming more common. If we are to put our best foot forward to the EU to ask for an extension of our derogation, how can the new committee on water quality play its part and how can it be ensured the committee effectively represents the needs of farmers in rural Ireland?

Tony McCormack (Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Taoiseach for the information. It is essential to acknowledge the tremendous efforts farmers have made and continue to make to improve water quality. Last week, when I met the Offaly branch of the Irish Farmers Association, members made a compelling case that this committee can achieve and that now is the time for industry, State agencies and local authorities to match those efforts and provide real assistance. This issue is not solely caused by farmers, yet they stand to suffer the most if they do not get it right. Will the Taoiseach fully commit to doing everything in his power to retain the nitrates derogation at EU level?

Martin Daly (Roscommon-Galway, Fianna Fail)
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In 2015, Roscommon University Hospital was allocated €7.85 million for a vital rehabilitation unit. It was part of a deal for the reconfiguration of the hospital after 2011 and of the enhanced infrastructure that was promised at that time. This project remained a priority under the HSE capital plan for eight years up to 2023. The last update indicated progression of the unit's design. Given this long-standing commitment and the critical need for the regional rehabilitation unit, why was Roscommon University Hospital unit omitted from the 2024 HSE capital plan? Will the Cabinet committee on health be able to comment on such?

Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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Due to the Victorian decrepit water infrastructure in much of my area - this is probably true of much of the city, but it is certainly true of Dún Laoghaire - when it rains, the run-off water mixes with foul water and the foul water all goes into the pumping station in Dún Laoghaire, which cannot cope and therefore foul water goes into the sea, destroying water quality and making the sea in Dublin bay unsafe for swimming. This happens all the time when it rains too heavily because of the failure of successive Governments to put the necessary investment into rehabilitating the decrepit Victorian water infrastructure. Such is the overwhelming effect of rain on the pumping station off the west pier in Dún Laoghaire, it is unable to pump the foul water up to the treatment plant in Ringsend and, therefore, people cannot swim because foul water is all over Dublin Bay. This happens at short notice. This needs to be addressed. It has been flagged. There is no testing of the water outside the swimming season from May to September even though people swim in the winter months. It needs to be urgently addressed to have this decrepit water infrastructure rehabilitated so we do not have Dublin Bay full of foul water.

Eamon Scanlon (Sligo-Leitrim, Fianna Fail)
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I welcome the establishment of a Cabinet committee to deal with the nitrates derogation. It is imperative that we work with farmers and industry to secure Ireland's derogation at EU level by implementing the nitrates derogation renewal plan in support of retention. It is crucial that this project move on quickly to let farmers know exactly how they can farm into the future because, with the weather we have had and all the rain that has fallen, it is difficult to farm by calendar. This is an important issue.

Michael Cahill (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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The threat to, and cost of, the provision of safe drinking water affects every human being. We are reliant on the disposal of our wastewater, which is a major challenge to our local authorities. Are these to be dealt with as one as they are closely linked? By ensuring we have safe drinking water, can we also upgrade our wastewater facilities, including the provision of constructed wetlands to provide a solution for rural Ireland? The vast majority of our villages, for example in County Kerry, are unsewered. If the wastewater problem in Kerry was solved, would our safe water supply not be much easier to deliver? Constructed wetlands are a much cheaper solution and much speedier to deliver.

Ivana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour)
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The programme for Government refers to the establishment of the Cabinet committee on water quality in the context of the nitrates derogation and to evidence-based solutions to assist farmers to improve water quality. The Taoiseach stated the committee is due to meet shortly for the first time. I ask that the remit might extend beyond that issue and hope that it will.

There are many other issues that are just as important around the need to improve water quality on our coasts and in our inland waterways. Will the committee also consider the merits of the Dublin Bay Bill 2021 which I proposed in this House some years ago and which the former Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien did not oppose, on Second Stage. It would have created a new statutory agency for governance of Dublin Bay, which would have been a model for other coastal areas and would have ensured much greater governance of the issue of water quality, ensuring our coastal areas, including our bathing areas would become genuinely well maintained public amenities for all to use. I am conscious that many people at inland lakes and in coastal areas now engage in swimming all year round or in using the waterways of Ireland and our coasts for leisure activities. We need to ensure water quality is improved upon for all those users as well, of course, as for ensuring water quality is improved for farmers and all those who engage in agricultural sectors.

Pádraig O'Sullivan (Cork North-Central, Fianna Fail)
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Last week in the House I raised the quality of water in Cork city, especially on the north side. I understand that many improvements have been made in the past 12 months or so, but the unfortunate reality for many people on the north side of the city is that it will take a number of years - or decades if we listen to Irish Water - to replace the cast iron pipes littered across the city that break periodically. In the meantime, I ask that all resources and funding necessary to make sure people have access to clean drinking water will be made available in the coming months. One more improvement is due to open in May to deal with various additives that go into the water. It is especially crucial in this day and age that people can at least wash themselves, whatever about being able to drink the water that comes out of their taps.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the large number of Deputies who tabled questions on this issue. Quite a substantial number focused in on the nitrates directive to begin with, for which I thank Deputies Cleere, O'Meara, Dolan, McCormack, Cahill and Scanlon. The establishment of the Cabinet committee demonstrates the Government's commitment to addressing water quality improvements across all sectors. Obviously it is more than just about the nitrates directive. Key supports have been provided to farmers through schemes such as the targeted agricultural modernisation schemes and the 60% grant scheme for nutrient storage. Under the water framework directive, each member state is required to implement a new nitrates action programme every four years. Ireland is currently on the fifth nitrates action programme, which will expire in December of this year. At the European Commission's nitrates committee meeting on 12 December last year, Ireland signalled its intentions that it is planned to seek a renewal of its nitrates derogation in Ireland. That will be Ireland's sixth lap, which is due in December 2025. The Government will work with stakeholders, including through the agricultural water quality working group, to develop Ireland sixth nitrates action programme covering the period January 2026 to December 2029. Once approved, that will then be subject to a strategic environmental assessment, an appropriate assessment and public consultation before finalising the submission for the Commission. A derogation is granted by a member state vote at the nitrates committee and the sixth nitrates action programme must be in place before a vote can occur. If Ireland is to retain its derogation for January 2026, we must present at the nitrates committee quarterly meetings in March, June and September 2025 to ensure that a vote goes ahead at the December meeting. A vote is permitted only when the Commission is satisfied that Ireland's sixth nitrates action programme demonstrating improvements in water quality has been given to the nitrates committee and the Commission is satisfied with the proposed derogation programme. We will continue to work with stakeholders in that regard.

On the other questions, including from Deputy Boyd Barrett, there is huge investment going into existing pipelines and water systems across Dublin and across the country. With additional investment we also have to make sure there is investment for new water supply as well. There are many towns around country at the moment where houses cannot be built because of lack of water supply capacity and that cannot continue. We need to balance between overhauling the existing system and making sure we can grow.

Deputy Martin Daly managed to get a question in on Roscommon University Hospital. I was waiting for the question as to when was the hospital about to get a wastewater treatment plant or something of such relevance to the question but I admire innovation and creativity at all times. I will follow up with the HSE on the question in respect of the capital plan for 2025.

I agree with Deputy Cahill on natural methods of dealing with cleaning and particularly the wetland approaches and so on. I can work with him with to follow through on the ideas he has brought forward.

With regard to the Dublin Bay Bill, I will talk to the Minister for Environment, Climate and Communications, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, who has responsibility. Deputy Bacik asked whether we need more agencies. Increasingly we in this House are questioning the spend by agencies and the supervision of agencies. We need to make sure that Irish Water is doing what it is legislated and resourced to do. I am open to ideas all the time. We will follow through on that.

Deputy Pádraig O' Sullivan raised with me last week the issue of water quality in Cork. I will continue to engage with Irish Water about the quality of the water on the north side of Cork, which is not good. They did indicate to us last week that they were making progress but I take the Deputy's point that the fundamental issues remain in respect of the cast iron pipes and the difficulties that many households are facing with the quality of the water.