Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 279: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the plans he has to ensure the quality and adequacy of supply in respect of domestic drinking water; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11440/05]

Dick Roche (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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In order to meet anticipated demand for water and water treatment facilities, the national development plan provides for investment of €4.4 billion in water services infrastructure up to the end of 2006, approximately three times the amount expended during the 1994-99 period. Substantial increases in water treatment and storage capacity are being achieved as a result of this increased investment. Schemes completed since 1997 have produced additional drinking water treatment capacity equivalent to the needs of a population of 985,000. The increase in storage capacity over the same period was sufficient to meet the requirements of a population of 1,575,000.

Details of approved proposals for further new and upgraded public water supply schemes are set out in my Department's Water Services Investment Programme 2004-2006, a copy of which is available in the Oireachtas Library. The schemes included in the programme are mainly derived from regular assessments of needs undertaken by local authorities, at my Department's request, as an input to the overall strategy for meeting additional water supply and treatment requirements.

Successive EPA reports on drinking water quality verify the fundamentally good quality of public drinking water supplies in Ireland. The most recent EPA report, for 2003, confirms a compliance rate with mandatory drinking water standards for public water supplies of 97.7%. In addition, earlier this year, I announced a record allocation of €125 million for the 2005 rural water programme. The main focus of this allocation is on upgrading group water schemes using sub-standard private sources. These schemes serve approximately 4% of households nationally and planned upgrades are being advanced as a matter of urgency.

Overall, the resources being put in place should ensure that the coverage and quality of the national water supply infrastructure adequately caters for all demands placed on it.