Barry Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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Question 519: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the percentage of Ireland's rivers and lakes that are fully functioning ecosystems; his plans to ensure compliance with EU directives in this area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36515/12]

Barry Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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Question 521: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the progress being made to tackle water pollution from sewage treatment works, industrial processes and other sources; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36517/12]

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 519 and 521 together.

The Water Framework Directive aims to establish a common framework for the protection of inland surface waters, transitional waters, coastal waters and groundwater. The Directive requires surface waters to be classified into one of five classes - high, good, moderate, poor or bad according to their ecological status which is defined as an expression of the quality of the structure and functioning of aquatic ecosystems.

The overall aim of the Directive is to maintain high and good status waters where they exist and to restore waters that do not support aquatic ecosystems adequately. The EPA's recently published report Ireland's Environment 2012 – An Assessment, shows that approximately 71% of river channel is at high or good status while 46.6% of lakes monitored are at high or good status.

These figures compare favourably with those in other EU countries but challenges remain if the ambitious aim of the Directive is to be achieved. The main pressures on water quality in Ireland stem from municipal wastewater treatment plants and diffuse sources, particularly agricultural activities and a programme of measures is in place to address these pressures.

Good progress has been made in recent years by water services authorities in the provision and management of wastewater services in their areas. This progress has been possible through high levels of investment coupled with new legislation on the licensing of wastewater treatment plants.

Over €5.5 billion in Exchequer resources has been invested between 2000 and 2011 in water services infrastructure. In the same period, 341 wastewater treatment schemes and contracts were completed. This has led to an increase in treatment capacity equivalent to the needs of population of almost 3.9 million. Ireland is currently about 93% compliant with the 2005 deadline of the EU Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive requiring secondary treatment for discharges from agglomerations above certain specified size thresholds, compared with 25% in 2000.

When the Water Services Investment Programme 2010 – 2013 was published in 2010, it detailed 59 wastewater contracts in progress with a value of €500 million and 161 contracts to be progressed to construction over the period of the Programme, with a value of just over €1 billion. A further 94 wastewater schemes were listed for work to be undertaken on the earlier planning stages of those schemes. Following a review of this Programme in 2011, a further 8 wastewater contracts to be progressed were added, together with 3 additional schemes to proceed through planning. Significant progress is being made in advancing these schemes and contracts.

The Waste Water Discharge (Authorisation) Regulations 2007 - 2010 provide for an authorisation system for all wastewater discharges to waters from treatment plants or collection systems owned or controlled by local authorities. The purpose of the authorisation system is to prevent and reduce pollution of waters by wastewater discharges. As part of the authorisation process, the EPA can place conditions on the operation of individual plants and systems and it can set emission limit values for the discharges.

Pollution from agricultural sources has been targeted through significant investment by farmers and the State under the Farm Waste Management Scheme and by the implementation of the European Communities (Good Agricultural Practice for Protection of Waters) Regulations 2010. Pollution from domestic waste water systems is being addressed by the requirements of the Water Services (Amendment) Act 2012 and I anticipate that the implementation of the new registration and inspection system will contribute to further improvements in water quality.