Page 38 of the programme for Government commits the Government to implement the plans set out by Irish Water to upgrade our dilapidated water infrastructure, including wastewater treatment plants. As the Taoiseach is aware, another temporary bathing ban was introduced at several of Dublin's beaches due to the overflow of wastewater from the Ringsend water treatment plant. In February, the Environmental Protection Agency told the Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government that raw sewage from the equivalent of 86,000 people was flowing into our waterways every day. The State is facing infringement proceedings from the European Commission due to its failure to invest adequately in our wastewater treatment facilities. Can the Taoiseach outline where these proceedings are, what the Government is doing to avoid significant EU fines and when our rivers and beaches will be safe, clean and fully compliant with EU law?

I will get the Deputy a full update on the ongoing discussions with European counterparts on this. Again, they have set out a proposal over the next couple of years where we will spend the guts of €2 billion on upgrading the infrastructure in affected areas with detailed capital projects on the way in 36 or 38 problem areas. What is happening in Dublin is a precautionary measure. We are all conscious of what happened here with that extreme weather event on Sunday evening and into Monday night that caused the problem because storm water feeds into our sewerage system as well, which is an historical issue we are trying to address. Again, capital works are under way that will help solve that but, naturally, the two local authorities involved are working together with the EPA to see whether any interim measures can be taken to prevent and deal with this. I will get the Deputy a detailed explanation of where we are with the European Commission.