Barry Ward (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit chuig an Seanad. I agree with much of what has been said previously. There has been a focus on inland waterways, particularly on inland water courses. I might turn the focus on our coastal regions coming as I do from Dún Laoghaire. One of the major problems we have now in Dublin Bay, notwithstanding the fact that it is a UNESCO biosphere and that it enjoys the protection under planning legislation of being a special protection area, SPA, and a special area of conservation, SAC, is an increased number of people sea swimming in Dún Laoghaire and Dublin Bay, especially at places like the Forty Foot, Seapoint, Hawk Cliff and Killiney beach that Members would have heard of.It is welcome but the reality is that the water quality there at the moment does not match what people are doing. Too often, it is not safe. The strange thing is that we have had this problem for a long time. We have a Victorian sewer system in Dún Laoghaire. This means rainwater and run-off from the road goes into the sewer system to the treatment plant at West Pier and is pumped underwater to Poolbeg for treatment as if it were sewerage, even though we know that it is not. Much of that could run safely into the sea. That works most of the time but there is limited capacity in West Pier. Every now and then when we have a strong rainfall event or, for whatever reason, there is a large volume of water in the system, the attenuation tank and pumping station in West Pier cannot handle the capacity or volume of water, including run-off, that goes into the station. What happens? It simply overflows into the sea at the back of West Pier in an area we know as "The Gut", right next to Seapoint Martello tower, where people swim all the time. As disgusting as that is, that it usually happens before people are told that it is happening.

I heard Senators referring to a figure of billions of euro. It will cost billions to put in place a modern-day sewerage system that separates grey water from brown water, to use that terminology, or to separate the run-off from what comes out of domestic sewage systems. The aim is that we treat whatever needs to be treated but either recycle or discharge what does not. This means grey water can be recycled into houses. We had a fantastic system in Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown with a social housing scheme that started in 2009 when I was on the council. It was at Benamore in Blackrock and used a sustainable urban drainage system. It cut all the rainwater and brought it into a small treatment unit within the housing development, treated it and used it then to flush the toilets within the complex. That effective use of water can be achieved, but it requires investment. Until we put that investment in place, water quality in Dublin Bay will not be what it should be. It is neither okay for swimming nor for the ecology, marine life or the fish and shellfish that we eat from the bay. I am conscious that the Minister of State has listened attentively to the debate. I appeal to him to include Dublin Bay and our coastal communities in plans to refine and improve water quality.