Michael Kitt (Galway East, Fianna Fail)

I thank Senator Fidelma Healy-Eames for raising this issue as it gives me an opportunity to outline how my Department is working to improve water services infrastructure and water quality in the Corrib catchment and in Galway generally.

My Department's water services investment programme 2007-09 includes more than 50 major water and sewerage schemes with a value of more than €464 million for County Galway. There are a further eight schemes worth in excess of €114 million for Galway city. A significant share of the sewerage schemes in the programme are in the Corrib catchment. They will play a major role in preserving and improving water quality in the river and lake. They include Headford, which is substantially completed, Dunmore, Tuam, Oughterard, where I attended a meeting a month ago with the local committee, Claregalway, Milltown and Corofin. Galway County Council is also providing a new scheme at Clonbur under the devolved rural water programme which is part funded by my Department.

Sewerage schemes already in place within the Corrib catchment with the aid of departmental funding include Tuam — phase one, Moycullen, Cong, Ballyhaunis, Ballinrobe and Claremorris. Where schemes have yet to begin, I assure the House that my Department is anxious to facilitate progress as quickly as possible and is in ongoing contact in that regard with Galway County Council. All these schemes will help protect the Corrib, the main source of Galway city's water supply.

New drinking water treatment facilities will be provided under the Galway city water supply scheme to be funded under the water services investment programme at a cost of €22.1 million. The Minister has approved Galway City Council's proposals for a €3.6 million advance element of the scheme to upgrade the Terryland water treatment plant to cater for the city's medium-term needs. I understand Galway City Council has received tenders and hopes to begin work shortly.

With regard to water quality in Lough Corrib, the Environmental Protection Agency monitoring for the period 2004 to 2006 shows that the upper section was classified as being in a mesotrophic category, indicative of a low level of pollution, and the lower section was classified as being oligotrophic, suggesting a very low level of pollution. Both these classifications were consistent with satisfactory water quality conditions and were based on the level of total phosphorous and chlorophyll measured on at least 12 occasions in each of these years.

Since December 2006, a new monitoring programme has been in place to meet water framework directive requirements. Based on data collected in 2007 using this programme, a generally positive interim assessment of status for Lough Corrib upper and lower has been determined. The classification systems used to determine status have been approved at EU level.

There is ongoing liaison between my Department and relevant State agencies on the co-ordination of policies and actions for water management in all areas. The nitrates regulations, which came into effect in 2006, were developed in close consultation with the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and Teagasc and are supported by an enhanced package of financial supports for farmers and cross-compliance systems operated by the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. The regulations provide a statutory basis for a range of measures to protect waters such as Lough Corrib from pollution by nitrates from agricultural sources.

Overall, I confirm that a wide-ranging and comprehensive range of measures is being implemented to preserve and protect Lough Corrib. These are backed up by substantial public funding and a commitment to continued improvement in the quality of our rivers and lakes and our drinking water supplies.