James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I highlight the fact that solutions typically consist of water treatment plant upgrades, a new connection or water schemes being taken in charge by Irish Water. The works to resolve the water quality issue are being funded under the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage's multi-annual rural water programme.

As the Senator said, the European Commission first raised the issue of THM compliance in Ireland back in 2014. At that time, the Commission had concerns regarding 73 public water supplies and 24 private group water schemes. The Commission has publicly recognised that Ireland has made progress in addressing elevated levels of THMs in drinking water. However, in November 2021, the Commission referred Ireland to the Court of Justice of the European Union for failure to comply with the requirements of the drinking water directive. In the referral, the Commission alleges that the level of THMs in drinking water has exceeded the parametric value established by the drinking water directive in 30 water supply zones, although this figure will be contested by Ireland during the case. Ireland is currently finalising its defence to the case, with the assistance and advice of the Office of the Attorney General, and this will be submitted to the court at the end of October.

For the Senator's information, the EPA publishes its full remedial action list on its website atwww.epa.ie. This list provides a comprehensive picture of public water supply compliance and risk on an ongoing basis. The EPA also publishes all of its audit results on its website.