Pádraig Ó Céidigh (Independent)
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Gabhaim buíochas leis an gCathaoirleach as ucht an deis a thabhairt dom labhairt ar chúrsaí uisce i gCuan na Gaillimhe. I dtosach báire, glacaim buíochas leis an Aire Stáit as teacht anseo. Tá dhá rud le rá sula dtosaím. Beidh deireadh seachtaine againn ar an gCeathrú Rua i gConamara do Theachtaí Dála, Seanadóirí, Airí agus gach duine eile faoi cheann coicíse nó trí seachtaine. I would love to see the Minister of State, the Cathaoirleach and everybody in both Houses there learning spoken Irish for the weekend. It will be good craic but I will give one warning: anyone who speaks a full sentence in English will be sent home. That stands for everybody. That is coming up soon. I hope everyone can make it.

Sea swimming is becoming more and more important as a sport. There are facilities for training throughout the country. It is essential that we have clean water for sports, food, and recreation. I come from Galway and the area of Galway Bay. An issue has come up on a number of occasions in Galway, which I will share with the Minister of State over the coming two to three minutes. I hope to get his feedback on it. The European Environment Agency and European Commission published a report on European bathing water quality in 2018. Some 71% of our bathing waters were deemed excellent, but this summer we saw many swimming bans, particularly in Dublin. Beaches were closed in Dublin. The most recent closure affected eight beaches. These beaches were closed to swimmers because of dirty water. I believe the cause of the Dublin beach closures was a number of sewage spills from the Ringsend treatment plant.

In May or June of this year Galway City Council prohibited swimming off beaches at Silverstrand and Salthill and issued a warning about the Grattan Road beach in lower Salthill after elevated levels of bacteria were detected. The most recent beach closure occurred from 28 August to 4 September, just a few weeks ago. No definite cause was outlined for the source of the elevated level of bacteria in our waters. We need to have confidence in the quality of our waters, especially from a health point of view. The Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, states in its 2018 report on bathing water quality in Ireland that ongoing research will help it to understand further how it can protect and improve bathing water quality. This is very much work in progress. We need to understand fully the source of the contamination in our water, which we currently do not.

I will pay particular attention to bathing waters in Galway as I ask the Minister of State a couple of questions. Every day, throughout the year, I see people swimming and diving off Blackrock in Salthill. It is a fantastic amenity. I know that the Minister, Deputy Murphy, spends time sea swimming himself. Perhaps the Minister of State does also, but I have seen some photos of the Minister doing so while I have not yet seen any of the Minister of State. I am sure he probably jumps in now and again, as do I. Given the number of cruise ships visiting Ireland in 2019, does the Minister of State know what volume of wastewater and sewage was discharged into Irish waters?Who monitors cruise ships in Irish waters for compliance with environmental regulations? If we have an authority or a body doing that, what is the frequency and depth of this monitoring? Other countries have legislation in place requiring that cruise ships be routinely tested to meet clean air and water standards and a tax is levied on each cruise ship passenger to pay for the programme. Has a cruise ship operator ever been fined by Irish authorities for causing pollution?

I support and promote tourism but there is a balance to be struck. There is potentially a black hole or lack of clarity in this regard. Many people in Galway are concerned by the fact that the closure of Salthill beaches often coincides with the presence of cruise ships off Galway Bay. This issue was raised in Galway City Council a couple of times. Councillor John Connolly, who has highlighted it, is particularly concerned about the number of no-swim notices and advisory notices warning about water quality in the city. Councillor Donal Lyons has also raised the issue. This is a concern for people in Galway and I suggest it may also be an issue for people in Dublin who regularly swim in the sea. I would value the Minister's feedback on it.

David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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Gabhaim buíochas leis an Seanadóir Ó Céidigh as ucht an t-ábhar seo a ardú inniu. I thank Senator Ó Céidigh for raising this issue today and giving me an opportunity to discuss the quality of our bathing water, specifically in Galway Bay. The Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government, Deputy Eoghan Murphy, sends his apologies for not being here.

The Environmental Protection Agency reports on bathing water quality every year. In general, Ireland has high standards in this regard. Some 94% of our bathing waters meet the required standard and almost 86% are either good or excellent. High quality bathing waters are a fundamental natural amenity and I acknowledge the work of the many people who contribute to keep them at such a high standard. We must continue this good work to protect the water quality at our beaches. We must take action, where necessary, to put an end to any causes of pollution and ensure that people who swim have the information they need on water quality in their local area.

The bathing water regulations have resulted in more water quality testing and public information than was previously the case. The Minister has designated 145 bathing waters. Of these, five have been evaluated as poor, including three sites in Dublin Bay, one in Clifden, County Galway, and one on Lough Ennell in County Westmeath. The Minister remains concerned by ongoing issues at these five locations. While he recognises that the root causes may often be complex, the issues must be addressed as a matter of priority.

Focusing on County Galway and the beach at Clifden, Galway County Council has found there are a number of sources contributing to the water quality issues there, namely, the sewer network, septic tanks and storm water overflows from the wastewater treatment plant. Until recently, Clifden was discharging raw sewage. Irish Water has built a new sewage treatment plant at Clifden and is continuing with further works on the sewer network. This will improve water quality. Galway County Council is continuing to work to inspect and reduce the impact from householders' septic tank discharges.

In the Galway Bay area, specifically within the urban environs, the city council has issued prior warning notices ahead of heavy rainfall and posted temporary bathing prohibition notices. These notices are precautionary measures and are designed to protect people. Water quality is tested regularly at Galway Bay beaches and, in the main, is found to be excellent.

The local authorities in Galway are working closely with all stakeholders, including Irish Water, to ensure necessary improvements are delivered. In that context, it should be noted that Irish Water is preparing a drainage area plan for Galway city, which will help determine what upgrades are necessary to the sewer network. The Minister has asked the Department to work with the Environmental Protection Agency and the local authorities to examine ways of enhancing further the communication to bathers regarding potential water quality issues, including effective early warning systems in the event of weather alerts.

I have taken note of what the Senator has said with respect to discharges by cruise ships. I do not have any information to hand on that matter but I will ask the Minister to make inquiries and answer the queries the Senator has raised in that regard. I agree with his remarks on the importance of bays and waterways for sport and recreation purposes. As Minister of State at the Department of Justice and Equality with responsibility for youth justice, I encourage more people to use the waterways, beaches and sea for sailing, swimming and all other such recreation purposes.

Pádraig Ó Céidigh (Independent)
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I thank the Minister of State for his comprehensive response which I very much appreciate, particularly the points he made regarding water quality. We are doing well but we could do much better. The Minister of State highlighted the work of Irish Water in Clifden. As he will be aware, I had a long engagement related to Irish Water a couple of years ago.

I would very much appreciate the Minister's feedback on the issue of cruise ships because it is a concern. From a recreational point of view, Ireland is becoming a more outdoor society, with rivers, lakes and the sea becoming more relevant to us. The environmental and health aspects are fundamental to this. However, this matter is also important from a tourism point of view because Ireland is seen as a green country in more ways than one. The more work we can do to maintain that, the better it will be for all of us. Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire Stáit as ucht teacht isteach.

David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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On the Senator's point regarding cruise ships, my guess is that the matter falls under the regulations and controls governing cruise ships. We will get the relevant information to the Senator.

Investment in wastewater infrastructure is prioritised in the Irish Water strategic funding plan, with capital expenditure on wastewater projects expected to be in the region of €1.9 billion between 2019 and 2024. These planned upgrades and improvements will make a significant contribution to improving water quality.

While local authorities are, where relevant, working closely with Irish Water to ensure infrastructural improvements are delivered, there are many other sources of pollution that are outside Irish Water's remit, including sewer misconnections to contributing streams, septic tanks, agriculture, wildlife and dog fouling. All of these issues must also be taken into account and addressed.