Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 41: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the extent to which he can guarantee an adequate and secure supply of domestic drinking water over the next 10 years; if current storage and treatment facilities are adequate; his plans for conservation and quality control; his proposals to eliminate any possible threat of pollution from inefficient, overloaded or otherwise inferior municipal waste water treatment systems; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8103/08]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 200: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government his plans to ensure the adequate supply and storage of drinking water here with particular reference to the Greater Dublin Area having particular regard to the fact that most of the local authorities are of the opinion that storage, future supplies and current requirements are at a critical balance; when it is expected that he will be in a position to address these issues; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8410/08]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 201: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he will provide an assurance that adequate steps have been taken to prevent a recurrence of the pollution of drinking water such as occurred in 2007 in Galway; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8412/08]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 202: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the extent to which he will provide the necessary funds to augment, upgrade or otherwise improve or replace sewage treatment plants here with a view to eliminating pollution of the waterways by municipal authority sewage treatment systems; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8413/08]

John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 41, 200, 201 and 202 together.

Management of public drinking water supplies is generally the responsibility of the local authorities, which have a range of instruments and measures available to them to produce and conserve sufficient supplies to meet anticipated needs and to ensure quality standards. In addition, my Department coordinates and finances a major programme of investment in improved water supply infrastructure, active leakage control, telemetry and rehabilitation of watermains.

The Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) most recent report on drinking water supplies "The Provision and Quality of Drinking Water in Ireland — A Report for the Years 2006-2007" is available in the Oireachtas Library. The report has identified 339 public water supply schemes that require detailed profiling from catchment to consumer to determine whether the supply needs to be replaced or upgraded, or where operational practices need to be improved to ensure that the water supplied to the general public is clean and wholesome.

The Agency has asked the local authorities concerned to draw up action plans to address the issues raised in each of these cases. My Department is simultaneously assessing the implications for the Water Services Investment and Rural Water Programmes and I have already indicated that a contingency funding arrangement is in place that will be available to implement any necessary remedial measures.

The Drinking Water (No. 2) Regulations, 2007, have strengthened the enforcement provisions in relation to drinking water standards. The Regulations provide for the supervision of local authority drinking water supplies by the EPA. Local authorities continue to be responsible for supervising group water scheme supplies but all monitoring programmes are now subject to approval by the Agency, which is also required to supervise the performance by local authorities of their monitoring functions. Penalties for non-compliance with the requirements of the Regulations have been increased considerably with the inclusion of indictable offence provisions, and supervisory authorities now have powers of direct intervention if necessary to ensure compliance with their directions.

The most up-to-date information in relation to the operation of local authority waste water treatment facilities may be obtained from the EPA's publication "Urban Waste Water Discharges in Ireland — A Report for the Years 2004 and 2005". The Agency's report "Water Quality in Ireland 2007" sets out the factors adversely impacting on water bodies, including wastewater discharges. These publications are also available in the Oireachtas Library.

The Waste Water Discharge (Authorisation) Regulations, 2007, provide for an authorisation system for urban wastewater discharges by local authorities and for the purpose of giving further effect to the Dangerous Substances Directive and the Water Framework Directive. The authorisation system is being administered by the EPA and applies to all discharges to waters from sewage treatment plants or collection systems owned or controlled by local authorities.

The Government's commitment to improving water services infrastructure to meet the highest international standards is reflected in the very substantially increased funding of some €4.7 billion provided for water services in the National Development Plan 2007-13, an increase of 27% on the previous NDP. Details of currently approved water supply and wastewater projects are set out in my Department's Water Services Investment Programme 2007-2009 which is available in the Oireachtas Library.

The schemes included in the Water Services Investment 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 water supply and treatment requirements. New assessments were carried out in 2006 and the priorities adopted by the local authority elected members were taken into account in the preparation of the current Programme. Among the criteria local authorities are required to take into account in preparing assessments of needs is compliance with national and EU drinking water and wastewater treatment standards and future long-term capacity requirements.

The Water Services Act 2007 provides for each local water services authority to prepare a strategic water services plan for its area every 6 years at least. Such plans will outline the situation in relation to water services provision, both current and projected, and identify appropriate responses. It is envisaged that the new process will ensure that planning for water services is fully integrated into national investment planning for social and economic development. The relevant provisions will be brought into force as soon as related guidelines and training are in place, early in 2009.

Overall, the resources being put in place by my Department will ensure that the coverage and quality of the national water services infrastructure is adequate to meet current and anticipated demands.