Joe Higgins (Dublin West, Socialist Party)
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Question 1394: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the steps he is taking to improve water quality in response to the findings of the three-year water quality in Ireland study published in June 2005 (details supplied). [25270/05]

Dick Roche (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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The Environmental Protection Agency's report on water quality in Ireland 2001 to 2003 stated that the overall condition of Irish waters remains satisfactory and compares favourably with the position in other European countries. The report indicates that there is a further decline in the extent of serious pollution in rivers, a decline in the level of bacteriological contamination of groundwater and that water quality is generally high in estuaries and coastal areas.

I welcome these positive findings of the report. Other findings of the report, however, are more mixed, such as the slight increase in the extent of river channel affected by pollution, the decrease in the number of bathing areas which comply with guideline values and the widespread intermittent contamination of groundwaters with faecal coliforms. The report also confirms that eutrophication is extensive in surface waters and emphasises the need for control of nutrient losses from all sources.

The achievement of good water status requires that all sources of pollution be addressed, whether arising in agriculture, urban wastewater, industry or other activities. A wide range of measures is being progressed for this purpose including a national nitrates action programme to protect waters against pollution from agriculture, the comprehensive strengthening of river basin management in the context of implementation of the water framework directive and under the water services investment programme, which incorporates the rural water programme, in relation to the treatment of wastewater discharges and the provisions of drinking water supplies.

Insofar as wastewater discharges are concerned, the EPA report points to the need for continued investment in the upgrading of our waste water treatment plants and makes reference to specific areas that merit ongoing attention such as nutrient removal from wastewater discharges and the need to address point source pollution from sewage treatment plants.

Some €1.7 billion was invested in new wastewater infrastructure under the national development plan in the four-year period up to the end of 2004. As a result, major strides have been made in meeting our targets under the EU urban wastewater treatment directive and in improving the quality of the receiving waters. Compliance with the December 2005 deadline of the directive, which requires secondary treatment for discharges from agglomerations to a population equivalent of 2000 or more in the case of fresh or estuarial waters, stood at 25% at the start of 2000. That has now risen to some 90%. All remaining schemes needed to achieve full compliance with the directive are included in my Department's water services investment programme, a copy of which is available in the Oireachtas Library. My Department is examining the EPA report and is identifying any municipal wastewater discharges where investment in new or upgraded wastewater infrastructure is required that has not already been provided for in the current phase of the programme. The commitment in the programme for Government for secondary wastewater treatment facilities to be put in place for every location with a population of more than 1,000 is also being implemented. The increase in wastewater treatment capacity in the 2001 to 2004 period is equivalent to the needs of a population of some 2.9 million — seven times more than the increase achieved over the duration of the previous NDP from 1994 to 1999. The EPA water quality in Ireland report covers the period up to 2003 and does not take account of the many new wastewater treatment plants that have been commissioned in the meantime. In relation to pollution from agricultural sources, my Department is in the process of drawing up regulations to give effect to the national nitrates action programme submitted to the European Commission in July of this year. The draft regulations will be published shortly for public consultation. The regulations will provide for a range of measures to protect waters against pollution from agricultural sources and to strengthen the application of good agricultural practice. The regulations will, inter alia, provide for set periods when land application of fertilizers is prohibited, limits on the land application of fertilizers, livestock manure storage requirements and monitoring the effectiveness of measures.

The national nitrates action programme and the regulations will be a key component in Ireland's ongoing efforts to protect and enhance water quality. My colleague the Minister for Agriculture and Food has announced proposals for an enhanced scheme of grants under the farm waste management scheme to support investment in farm facilities for this purpose.