Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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Primary responsibility for the monitoring, management, protection and improvement of water quality is assigned to local authorities under the Local Government (Water Pollution) Acts and related legislation. 

Since 1 January 2014, Irish Water has statutory responsibility for all aspects of water services planning, delivery and operation at national, regional and local level, including investment in waste water treatment plants and returning waste water safely to the environment in an efficient and sustainable manner.

The EPA is the key statutory body for investigating complaints of pollution and 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.

As part of Budget 2022, I secured funding of over €1.57 billion to support water services. This includes €1.459 billion (Current €629m and Capital €830m) in respect of domestic water services provision by Irish Water.

The overall investment will deliver significant improvements in our public water and waste water services, support improved water supplies right across Ireland, including rural Ireland, and support a range of programmes delivering improved water quality in our rivers, lakes and marine area. It is key to addressing Ireland's shortcomings in water and waste water infrastructure including compliance with the Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (UWWTD).

In respect of Dublin Bay, the Ringsend wastewater treatment plant was originally designed and built to treat wastewater for a population equivalent of 1.64 million and is now overloaded. In response, Irish Water is currently undertaking a major upgrade of the plant. This upgrade will increase the capacity of the plant to cater for the growing population of the Greater Dublin Area and will address compliance with EU law.  Planning permission was granted for the project in April 2019, and the project is currently underway. 

In addition, my officials are currently examining the most suitable options to provide for safe bathing water during the winter months, and improve the dissemination of information around bathing water quality, particularly in the Dublin bay area. Both Minister Noonan and I have met with a number local interest groups for the Dublin Bay area, including the Dublin Bay SOS Group, and I am committed to developing a solution that will allow flexibility around the bathing season and the protection of those people who swim throughout the year.

Ongoing work by the Dublin Bay Task Group, chaired by Dublin City Council is aimed at improving bathing water quality all year round. The work of this group, and the welcome commitment from Irish Water to operate its ultraviolet filter at Ringsend for a period outside of the bathing season are already providing improved protection for bathers, while also improving our knowledge of the quality of our bathing waters outside of the defined season.  

The Programme for Government commits to funding Irish Water's capital investment plan for drinking water and waste water infrastructure on a multi-annual basis and delivery of the funding package committed to in Project Ireland 2040. The National Development Plan (NDP) 2021-2030 (published on 4 October 2021) commits to almost €6bn capital investment to be undertaken by Irish Water in the period from 2021-2025 of which over €4.5 billion will be Voted Exchequer funded in respect of domestic water services also referenced under Housing for All.  This substantial and sustained investment will build on improvements in recent years to deliver enhanced environment conditions in our rivers, estuaries, lakes and coastal waters.