Paul Gogarty (Dublin Mid West, Green Party)
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Question 311: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the reports that have been issued regarding poor water quality in Ireland's waterways in the past year; if such reports refer to the dumping of excretion from cruise boats in Ireland's waterways; if not, why not; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30221/06]

Dick Roche (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have issued the following reports regarding the water quality in Ireland's waterways in the past year: Phosphorous Regulations National Implementation Report 2005, Water Quality in Ireland 2005 Key Indicators of the Aquatic Environment, and Environment in Focus 2006 Environmental Indicators for Ireland. The Water Quality in Ireland 2005 Key Indicators of the Aquatic Environment report (August 2006) analyses what EPA consider to be the top ten core indicators of water quality in Ireland, namely river quality, nitrates in rivers, lake quality, fish kills, estuarine and coastal water quality, quality of shellfish waters, pollution at sea incidents, bathing water quality, faecal coliforms in ground water and nitrates in ground water. None of the EPA reports makes particular reference to the dumping of excretion from cruise boats in Ireland's waterways.

The EPA report that the main threats to the quality of Ireland's surface waters are municipal sewerage and diffuse agricultural pollution sources. These issues are being addressed by major investment in the Water Services Investment Programme and measures such as the Nitrates Regulations. However, my Department has over the years sought to facilitate the provision of sewerage infrastructure to serve cruise boats under the Water Services Investment programme.