Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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301. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the steps that can be taken to ensure that Irish Water is no longer engaged in contaminating the habitat of endangered species; if new penalties need to be introduced to deter such activity; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47778/21]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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With effect from 1 January 2014, Irish Water has statutory responsibility for all aspects of water services planning, delivery and operation at national, regional and local levels for public water services, including the delivery of water services capital infrastructure, encompassing the management of urban waste water collection and treatment infrastructure.

All discharges to the aquatic environment from sewerage systems owned, managed and operated by Irish Water require a waste water discharge licence or certificate of authorisation from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The authorisation process provides for the EPA to place stringent conditions on the operation of such discharges to ensure that potential effects on the receiving water bodies are strictly limited and controlled.

The EPA is the statutory body for the enforcement, both directly and through oversight of Irish Water and local authorities, of environmental legislation in Ireland, including compliance in relation to licensed urban waste water discharges.

The EPA’s report on the performance of urban waste water treatment in 2019 shows that, while many challenges remain, Irish Water is continuing to make progress and is improving our waste water systems. Irish Water has reduced the number of priority waste water sites listed by the EPA and has increased the number of large towns and cities that now meet the required EU standards for waste water discharges.