Ciarán Cuffe (Dún Laoghaire, Green Party)
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Question 93: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the reason for the delay in enacting the Water Services Bill, introduced in 2003 in view of the contamination of the Galway water supply; if he will enact it as a matter of urgency to ensure a higher standard of environmental protection for water supplies here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13391/07]

Dick Roche (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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The Water Services Bill has been passed by the Seanad and is waiting scheduling for Report and Final Stages in the Dáil. I anticipate that final stages of the Bill will be taken in the Dáil soon after the Easter recess.

As an interim measure, pending the implementation of the new arrangements provided for under the Bill in relation to drinking water, I have replaced the Drinking Water Regulations 2000, by the European Communities (Drinking Water) Regulations 2007. These new Regulations contain strengthened provisions in relation to drinking water supplies.

The Regulations also provide for a new supervision and enforcement role by the Environmental Protection Agency in relation to local authorities' monitoring and management of drinking water generally, and for the supervision by local authorities of group water supplies.