Holly Cairns (Cork South West, Social Democrats)
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95. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the steps that he is taking in response to the EPA finding that just 51% of Ireland’s sewage was treated to the European Union standards set to protect our environment, well below the EU average of 90%. [53888/22]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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Since 1 January 2014, Irish Water has statutory responsibility for all aspects of water services planning, delivery and operation at national, regional and local levels. Irish Water’s primary function is to provide clean safe drinking water to customers and to treat and return waste water safely to the environment. In turn, the EPA, as environmental regulator, is responsible for monitoring and enforcing compliance with the necessary quality standards for the collection and treatment of waste water discharges.

As part of Budget 2023, I secured funding of over €1.65 billion to support water services and €1.56 billion of this will go to Irish Water. This overall investment will deliver significant improvements in our public water and waste water services. Many serious challenges do remain which will take significant investment and the EPA in its report has identified the priority areas where Irish Water should target their available resources to deliver improvements where they are most needed and will bring the greatest environmental benefits.

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.

The vast majority (90%) of the total waste water load that is not yet in compliance with the Directive requirements is represented by one treatment area: the Ringsend agglomeration serving Dublin and the surrounding area. Irish Water is currently investing over €500 million in the staged upgrading of Ringsend Wastewater Treatment Plant which will deliver the capacity to treat the wastewater for a population equivalent of 2.4 million while achieving the standards of the Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive by 2025. Irish Water also has plans in place to address any outstanding issues at the remaining non-compliant plants.

Irish Water has established a dedicated team to deal with representations and queries from public representatives. The team can be contacted via email to oireachtasmembers@water.ie or by telephone on a dedicated number, 1890 578 578.