Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 654: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the extent to which adequate domestic drinking water and storage facilities exist at present; his plans for augmentation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5771/06]

Dick Roche (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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Some €3.7 billion will be spent under the National Development Plan 2000-2006 on the provision of water services infrastructure. Substantial increases in water treatment and storage capacity are being achieved as a result of this investment. Schemes completed since 1997 have produced additional drinking water treatment capacity equivalent to the needs of a population of 1,073,000. The increase in storage capacity over the same period was sufficient to meet the requirements of a population of 1,740,000.

Management of public drinking water supplies is the responsibility of the local authorities who have a range of instruments and measures available to them to conserve sufficient stocks to meet anticipated needs and ensure quality standards. In addition, my Department co-ordinates and finances a major programme of investment in improved infrastructure, active leakage control, telemetry and rehabilitation of water mains. Details of such projects that have been approved for funding by my Department are set out in the Water Services Investment Programme 2005-2007 which is available in the Oireachtas Library. The schemes included in the programme are derived mainly from regular assessments of needs undertaken by local authorities, at my Department's request, as an input to the overall strategy for meeting necessary water supply and treatment requirements.

I am satisfied the planning and resources are in place to ensure that the national water supply infrastructure can cater adequately for current and anticipated requirements.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 655: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he has identified the number of sewage treatment plants or pumping stations privately owned or in the ownership of the various local authorities that have caused or are likely to cause pollution to ground water; his plans to address this issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5772/06]

Dick Roche (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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The EPA reports on water quality in Ireland present a review of water quality in various water bodies, including groundwaters, and identify suspected causes of pollution. The EPA also provides details of the quality of urban waste water discharges and sewage sludges in its reports on urban waste water discharges in Ireland. Both reports are available in the Oireachtas Library.

Local authorities are responsible for the operation and maintenance of public waste water infrastructure. They operate under the general supervision of the EPA, which can issue advice, recommendations and directions. The EPA reports provide authorities with guidance in regard to any shortcomings in performance in individual locations. Where capital works are required to attain the required level of performance, applications from local authorities for funding under my Department's water services investment programme are afforded particular priority.

Discharges to groundwater by local authorities are generally subject to licensing by the EPA. Local authorities are responsible for monitoring and, where appropriate, licensing private wastewater discharges to groundwater. Details of such discharges are not available in my Department.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 656: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the steps he has taken or proposes to take to address the issue of methane gas emissions from public sewerage treatment facilities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5773/06]

Dick Roche (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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I understand methane gas is not released in a well operated and maintained waste water collection or treatment system. Sludge is a waste water treatment by-product and the generation of methane gas for use as a fuel may be a beneficial feature of sludge treatment, in particular anaerobic digestion. Sludge treatment facilities should not release methane into the environment in the course of normal operation.

Local authorities are responsible for the operation and maintenance of public waste water infrastructure and for resolving any shortcomings in performance. Where capital works are required to attain the required level of performance, applications for funding by local authorities under my Department's water services investment programme are considered in light of the individual authority's identified water services priorities at the time.