Ciarán Ahern (Dublin South West, Labour)
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1461. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the details of the European Commission's concerns regarding the alleged non-conformity of Ireland's transposition of the Drinking Water Directive, as set out in the letter of formal notice it announced it was sending to Ireland on 17 July 2025 (INFR(2025)2106); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41484/25]

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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The Drinking Water Directive was primarily transposed into national legislation by the European Union (Drinking Water) Regulations 2023 (S.I. No 99 of 2023).

A Letter of Formal Notice regarding Ireland’s transposition of the Directive has been received by my Department. The letter outlines three concerns that refer to specific sub-articles of the Directive. The view of the Commission is that the text of the corresponding provisions in the 2023 Regulations does not fully conform with the text of the Directive. The concerns are therefore about the approach adopted in transposing these sub-articles rather than concerns about drinking water quality. The letter is now being considered by my Department and a reply will issue to the Commission within the required timeframe.

Overall, Ireland has good drinking water quality. The 2024 Drinking Water Quality report, published by the EPA on 1 July 2025, indicates that Ireland's public drinking water continues to meet high standards, with over 99.8% compliance with microbiological and chemical standards.