Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 541: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the potential savings that can be made through an all-island approach to water treatment. [36819/12]

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The Water Framework Directive requires Member States to coordinate their efforts in relation to international river basin districts with the aim of producing a single international management plan. Work on development of the international river basin management plans for the North-Western and Neagh-Bann districts was marked by close coordination between the authorities in Ireland and Northern Ireland including agreeing on programmes of measures to address water quality issues on both side of the border. The basis for this coordination of effort is the 1999 British-Irish Agreement that established the North South Ministerial Council which is specifically mandated to promote cooperation in the area of water quality management. The primary means of coordination is through the North-South Working Group on Water Quality which is supported by a number of technical working groups with representatives from the implementing authorities in Ireland and Northern Ireland.

Insofar as the provision of water services on a cross-border basis is concerned, it is a matter in the first instance for the water services authorities in the border region to co-operate with each other in the provision of water services where this is feasible and cost effective. Because of the distance between such services north and south of the border there is very limited scope for such co-operation.