Ivana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour)
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490. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if it is planned to undertake a review of pollution at the Elm Park stream to measure the water quality from wastewater treatment plant overflows in the locality. [63505/21]

Ivana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour)
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491. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government his views on the effect the release of raw sewage into Dublin Bay; if it is considered that sewage releases in the Sandymount area contributes to the increase of Ectocarpus deposits on Sandymount strand; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [63506/21]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 490 and 491 together.

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.

In respect of Dublin Bay, my officials are currently working with local authorities to examine the most suitable options to provide for safe bathing during the winter months, and to improve the dissemination of information around bathing water quality, particularly in the Dublin bay area. In this regard, the Dublin Bay Task Force, chaired by Dublin City Council is carrying out work aimed at improving bathing water quality all year round, including an assessment of inputs to Elm Park Stream. As part of this work the following actions have or will be undertaken:

Irish Water and Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council has recently closed out a sewer overflow at Larchfield after delivering upgrades to the combined drainage infrastructure at that location. This eliminates one source of pollution to the Elm Park Stream;

Installation of a flow and water quality monitor near the outlet of the Elm Park stream will provide information on pollutant loads in the stream just before it discharges to the beaches. This will assist in predicting water quality problems in order to protect public health; and

A report is being finalised on behalf of the Task Force to identify pollutant sources and prioritise remediation works within the Elm Park Stream catchment. This report will support local authority engagement with private land owners for drainage misconnection identification and infrastructural rectification works.