James O'Connor (Cork East, Fianna Fail)
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94. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government to provide an update on the efforts of the Government to highlight the potential economic impacts of the Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive; if the Government has outlined any concerns about whether the Directive adheres to the polluter pays principle; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33186/25]

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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My Department is engaging with external consultants to undertake an independent assessment of costs for Ireland associated with the measures in the recast Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive.

The recast Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive applies the Polluter Pays Principle by including a provision for "Extended Producer Responsibility" for specific micro-pollutants. The Directive requires a contribution from pharmaceutical and personal care products producers of at least 80% of the costs of removal of specific micro-pollutants from wastewater. According to the EU Commission's impact assessment, these sectors are estimated to contribute 92% of these micro-pollutants to wastewater streams.

James O'Connor (Cork East, Fianna Fail)
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95. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government his views on the recent comments from European Health Commissioner, Olivér Várhelyi (details supplied), which indicate that the European Commission is now reassessing the expected impacts of the Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive; if there are plans for his Department to reassess or pause its implementation plan in respect of the Directive; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33188/25]

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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My Department is currently working on the transposition of the recast Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive into national legislation. The deadline for transposition is 30 June 2027. My Department has established a national expert group to assist with the transposition of the recast Directive. This expert group includes key participants from the following organisations: Uisce Éireann, Environmental Protection Agency, Commission for Regulation of Utilities, County and City Management Association, Department of Climate, Energy and Environment, Department of Health, Local Authority Water Programme, Health Service Executive, Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland, Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment and Geological Survey Ireland.

The EU Commission published the European Water Resilience Strategy in June 2025 and in that it has indicated that “In the context of the implementation of the extended producer responsibility system referred to in Article 9 of Directive (EU) 2024/3019 on urban wastewater treatment, the Commission will conduct an updated study of costs and its potential impacts on concerned sectors. In addition, the Commission will continue to support Member States in the pragmatic design of national systems with a view to avoiding unexpected or unintended consequences, in particular for the availability and affordability of medicines”.

This study of the impacts has not yet commenced. My Department will continue to engage fully in the work at EU level regarding the recast Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive. When the EU Commission finalises this work and if the recast Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive is amended in any way as a consequence, then this will reflected in the transposing legislation, accordingly.

Until then, the recast Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive has to be transposed before 30 June 2027. Therefore, my Department is continuing to work on transposing the recast Directive to ensure the Ireland meets that deadline.