Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the position regarding the upgrading, improvement and development of the quality and quantity of domestic drinking water in all areas throughout the country with particular reference to the need to ensure adequate supply and storage; the extent to which provision can now be made for such requirements in the future in the short and medium term; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39322/12]

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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The overall strategy of investment in water services is to ensure that the timing and scale of investment facilitates economic and other development, achieves compliance with statutory requirements and promotes environmental sustainability objectives. The main vehicle for achieving these objectives for public domestic water supplies is the multi-annual Water Services Investment Programme.

The current Programme, which runs to the end of 2013, provides for the commencement of contracts with a value of over €800m in relation to water supply infrastructure. This includes contracts to address deficiencies in the quality of supply, to improve the overall capacity of the system and an accelerated programme of mains rehabilitation. The Programme also provides for the advancement of a further range of schemes through planning, for progression to construction in future investment cycles. In the period, 2000 to 2011 (inclusive), over €5.5 billion has been invested in the water services sector; this led, inter alia, to an increase in drinking water storage capacity by a level equivalent to the needs of a population of 1,847,000.

In order to create efficiencies, improve service delivery and achieve cost savings in the delivery of water services, the Programme for Government provides for the establishment of a new State-owned national water authority to take over responsibility for managing and supervising investment in water services infrastructure. The Department is currently finalising work on the implementation strategy for the establishment of Irish Water. This strategy will take account of the need to ensure that this critical public service is delivered efficiently during the transition, that there is no loss of momentum in the delivery of key projects and that a sustainable funding model is put in place to support increased investment in the sector.