I welcome the Minister of State. There is a sense of déjà vu because it is not long since we discussed this topic. Nevertheless it is of such national importance that it is worthwhile to revisit it often in order to ascertain what the Government is doing and if its actions are effective. The Minister of State should note the importance of water quality to the people. Let me quote some figures from the EPA booklet which reflect their level of awareness of and attitudes to water quality in comparison with other pollutants. In Europe 20% are aware that cars cause air pollution. The figure for Ireland is 16%. In Europe 27.5% are aware of water pollution. The figure for Ireland is 36.3%. This indicates that it would be well worth the Government's while ensuring it is eliminated.

The Minister of State said that, judging from the EPA report, Ireland is doing extremely well in comparison to Europe but it is false to compare ourselves with anybody else. For many years we had water of the highest quality which was untainted. Two thirds of the world is covered in water, most of which is saline which means that it is not drinkable. If my figures are correct only 2.3% is drinkable, most of which is locked in the ice caps. This leaves a figure of about 0.01% which is unevenly distributed. There are parts of the world which continually suffer from droughts but that has not happened to us. Perhaps that is the reason we have been so lackadaisical during the years about water quality and considered it to be a natural asset and topic of conversation, but this complacency has caused much damage.

I mentioned in the House about two years ago that Friends of the Earth had accused the Government of not doing its job. It said that the EPA was not conducting sufficient pollution examinations. The quality of the examinations was also inadequate. It also complained to the EU about the Environmental Protection Agency with regard to the irregularities in the drinking water monitoring regime in Ireland and about the infrequency of sampling. It said that based on the Environmental Protection Agency's report on the quality of drinking water in Ireland, published for the years 1993, 1994 and 1995, it is apparent that some local authorities are applying an unacceptably low monitoring frequency in respect of most of the water supplies for which they are responsible. It outlines a significant number in this regard, looking at the number of samples taken, the type of samples, the poor sampling techniques and the laboratory practices involved. It concluded that the EPA was not carrying out its work properly. As a result, it took the Government to the European courts. I understand Ireland is to be prosecuted, despite the money invested by the Government and efforts by the Department of the Environment and Local Government to try to address the problem of pollution.

The pollution problem is extraordinary. The Minister of State said that Ireland compares well with the rest of Europe. However, the rivers are becoming increasingly polluted. Yesterday, I was informed by my colleague, Senator Costello, that the River Tolka was polluted with a fish kill of over 2,000. This indicates how important this issue is, not just as regards drinking water but also from a fishing and tourism point of view.

The Minister of State can cite all the figures he wishes, but the Government is not addressing the issues involved. Pollution is caused by a number of factors. It is mainly caused, as the Minister of State has admitted, by farming practices, for example by the spraying of slurries into the water base at the wrong time of the year and by the maintenance of slurry in tanks that cannot hold it and are breaking down resulting in leakages into the water base. It is also caused by the spread of raw sewage into rivers. I invite the Minister of State to Galway city where I will indicate to him points in the rivers where sewage from houses is deposited. That problem is being slowly addressed, but it indicates that we are not up to date in practice.

The recent EPA reports says enough is not being done and that our practices are not good enough. According to an article in The Irish Times, the water in Lisdoonvarna was likened to chardonnay – in colour, not taste. Visitors thought they were getting something very cheap, but it is not the kind of thing we want to show tourists.

The Government is being take to the European courts because of inadequate sampling and bad sampling practices. Those concerned believe it to be the case. No matter what the Minister of State says, the Government is not doing enough, nor is it acting fast enough. It is afraid to tackle the problem where it originates.

When he returns to the House to debate this matter, I ask the Minister of State to provide an EPA report that indicates we are the best in Europe. We can be the best in Europe. Thirty years ago if people bought a bottle of water in a restaurant, they would have been considered poseurs. Now there is surprise if they do not because nobody will drink tap water.

Recently, a number of people have opposed the chlorination of water. However, if many of the water supplies throughout the country were not chlorinated the health of the people drinking from them would be endangered. Other issues also need to be addressed.

The facts speak for themselves. The EPA has expressed concern about inadequate water quality. Friends of the Earth is taking Ireland to court and it appears it will win its case. These alone are enough to condemn the Government for its inadequate policy on clearing up our waters.

The Minister has attended the House to debate a number of environmental matters, including the very important issue of water quality. In his address to the House, he outlined that water is one of our most precious resources. It is essential for life and its importance to the economy from a tourism point of view has been highlighted.

The Minister of State has addressed the issue honestly. While there are problems, they are not of recent origin but go back a long time. We are debating the initiatives that have been taken, most of which have been sponsored by the Minister of State, to address what is, and has been, an unsatisfactory situation.

In 1998 the Minister of State introduced the phosphorous regulations, one of the main initiatives taken to tackle the significant phosphorous content in water, which is deleterious to quality. He set a target of significantly reducing the effects of phosphorous on our rivers and in our waters by 2007. At present, approximately one third are polluted. That target, and the measures being effected, will be trusted when we see progress. Since 1996 there has been a 20% reduction in the use of phosphorous fertiliser. People are taking heed. The same developments are happening with regard to detergents.

These initiatives require funding. The national development plan will provide £3 billion for the period 2000-06, which is three times greater than previous sums that have been made available. Much of the public water supply is of good quality and compares well with quality elsewhere, although the questions that have arisen about the use of additives to the water supply need to be checked.

Most of the difficulties and problems experienced are in the area of group water schemes. The Minister of State has made considerable funding available to address this issue. It is important to highlight that only 5% of households approximately are involved, although this is not to understate the seriousness of the issues. The blue flag status for many beaches and marinas – regrettably my county lost some this year – was not lost because of a deterioration in the quality of water, but because of non-compliance with administrative procedures in the dissemination of environmental information, which was not done in accordance with the criteria laid down.

However, there are serious issues to be addressed. In conjunction with local authorities, the Minister of State and his Department are obligated, as the agencies responsible, for implementing many of the EU directives. A broad range of directives deal with water quality. The statutory responsibility for water management and protection rests primarily with the local authorities. I concur with some of what Senator Coogan said in that the policing and monitoring of the regulations needs to be addressed in a more emphatic manner. The Minister of State should encourage local authorities in this regard. He outlined how Cork County Council and other county councils have taken initiatives which should be replicated by all local authorities.

It is regrettable that the strategic policy committees, which are fundamental to the new local government system, are still being resisted at official level by certain sectional interests employed in local government. These initiatives, all of which can be used for these issues and problems, should be implemented fully and allowed achieve their potential. Anything the Minister can do to realise their potential by overcoming objectives from officials would be a step in the right direction.

Mention was made of the Environmental Protection Agency, which has an important role to play. As a consequence of the rapidly expanding urban populations, many local authority water treatment facilities are under severe pressure. In many instances they are unable to cope with the increasing volumes of waste. This is obviously a source of pollution in rivers and lakes.

In rural areas there is a continuing threat to the aquatic environment from the intensive livestock rearing and dairying sectors which generate large quantities of high-strength waste, the bulk of which is disposed of by spreading on land without pretreatment. It is not surprising, therefore, that recent surveys of fresh waters throughout the State show a continuing increase in the length of the water channel subject to slight and moderate pollution and highlight eutrophication as the main problem to be addressed by management measures. While this deterioration in the quality of the aquatic ecosystem is relatively minor in many cases, it signals a change from the near pristine conditions which obtained in many areas up to the 1970s. I suppose to some extent we are paying the price of increased population and development. Measures which perhaps were apt and relevant some decades ago need to be looked at and strengthened for the future, and the Minister rightly addressed many of those areas.

The main threat presented by these developments concerns the health of the game-fish stocks, which are not favoured by the more productive waters resulting from artificial enrichment. There are already signs that the population of these fish is declining in some waters and this appears to be linked to eutrophication. On his last visit to the House and again today the Minister highlighted the need to address this and outlined initiatives he has taken in this regard. Obviously the emphasis needs to be continued in that area because it is one of the main target areas in improving water quality.

In recent times the phosphorus standards of rivers and lakes have been tackled with EU support. There have been studies of monitoring and management systems in a number of catchments, including those of loughs Ree and Derg on the River Shannon and Lough Leane in Killarney. These and other measures dealing with improvements to sewage and industrial waste treatment and nutrient management on farms are designed mainly, but not solely, to minimise the loading of phosphorus on surface waters. An indication of the efficacy of such measures has been provided by recent studies in the Lough Conn catchment area. Certainly efforts are being made in that direction.

Despite what Deputy Coogan stated, the Government has undertaken a wide range of initiatives. As I said, the provision of £420 million to improve group water schemes is significant. Of course that is not the only provision. The Minister highlighted the huge investment which is set out in the national development plan. It is worth pointing out also that as recently as 1996 as little as £8.5 million was provided for rural water schemes whereas in 1999 no less than £38 million was provided.

The Government is also developing comprehensive county level strategies involving intensive examination of all rural water supply systems to ensure that public health is safeguarded in all group schemes and that the principle of best practice is given widespread application in all aspects of the management and operation of private group water schemes. They are determined to resolve the problem of poor water quality in group water schemes and ensure that the people of rural Ireland enjoy clean uncontaminated drinking water. In March 2000, the Government announced major increases in grants and subsidies to banish substandard water supplies. The grant for each affiliated dwelling increases from £1,600 per house to 85% of the approved construction cost, subject to a cost limit of £6,000 per house. The Minister also announced a new 100% capital grant for disinfection and filtration equipment for substandard group water schemes. Therefore, initiatives are being taken which are backed by the provision of the necessary resources to achieve the objectives being set. Undoubtedly it is an important area to which the Minister has given serious priority. We should congratulate him on his efforts to date and encourage him to continue the effort being made to ensure that the quality of water for drinking and in the rivers and lakes is pristine.

I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Dan Wallace. I also read the fine Environmental Protection Agency's millennium report, but I think the Minister produced the best of its figures rather than some of those which were alarming, or perhaps he has given it a certain gloss.

I am delighted to hear of the efforts the Government will make regarding improving water supplies and inland waterways which are polluted. As the Minister of State said, the quality of estuarine and coastal waters was relatively good, which was extremely cheering, but we could be less than sanguine about the situation of inland waterways and rural water schemes, which are in a bad state in over 35% of the country. I was delighted to hear of the amount of money the Minister will provide for these schemes. At present they are infected by e.coli and in some instances e.coli 0157, which is a killer bug, has been found. Cryptosporidium, streptococci and clostridia have also been found in rural water schemes. These are seriously dangerous bacteria.

The main problem with many of these small water schemes has been pollution by sewage. In many cases this is caused by septic tanks which were ill-sited in the first place, which were not maintained or which have become too old and need to be replaced. I did not see much in the Minister of State's speech about serious consideration being given to specific septic tanks and, if necessary, the steps being taken to remedy the damage they are causing.

There is also the problem of pollution by animals encroaching on the sites of water supplies. This is a common problem in rural Ireland and I do not think the significance of it is understood by many people. It is important, therefore, to educate those on whose land rural water supplies begin. I do not think they fully understand the damage that animal faeces which gets into the water at that level causes to the ground water, which of course is important to the supply of drinking water.

The monitoring of e.coli is always taken as important because that shows that there is contamination by sewage, but I would like to think that in this day and age we were doing a little more to try to find out the level of herbicides and pesticides in these supplies. Indeed, we do little in the way of measurement of herbicides in particular – I suggest that we have got to the stage where we really need to get going on that because they are quite widely used.

The Minister of State pointed out that the major problem with the pollution of water is of course phosphorus, followed by nitrate. On agriculture, the Minister of State stated that there has been a 20% reduction in the amount of phosphates used on the land, and indeed this is most welcome. I have seen reports which state that there is a five year oversupply of phosphate in some parts of the country. I had thought that Teagasc would monitor the level of phosphate and nitrate within soils on farms in Ireland and give farmers these readings, but I have not heard any more about it. It is a matter of concern to me. Initiatives are undertaken which may or may not begin but we receive very little information on the monitoring and that is a problem.

Groundwater pollution from phosphorous is almost always due to pollution from animal rearing. One extraordinary aspect is that pig and poultry rearing enterprises are subject to integrated pollution control monitoring. However, they are much less polluting than cattle rearing enterprises because the slurry from cattle is of greater volume than that from pig and poultry rearing enterprises. Is it not time to bring cattle rearing under integrated pollution control? That could be extraordinarily important. The Minister of State is correct to say that the rural environment protection scheme assists in this regard in that the cattle are outdoors more and are much more dispersed. However, only a certain number of farms are involved in REPS and it may be difficult to get others involved.

I am glad to see the efforts of the Minister of State to tackle sewage and industrial waste. The treatment of sewage is very important in the context of inland waterways, but not enough atten tion is paid to the pollution which occurs in small rivers and streams. Senator Coogan pointed out that, even in Galway, one can still see the sewage from individual houses going into rivers. Sewage is still not treated in some villages and towns in Ireland. Only primary treatment, which removes large solid waste, is available in others. Tertiary treatment, where sewage is aerated, which helps improve the bacteriological content of the sewage so that the organic matter is broken down more, is available in some towns, but the number of places where tertiary treatment units are in place is very small. I understood that tertiary treatment units were only in place in towns with 10,000 or more inhabitants and if so, this leaves out a large number of places, some of which may be dormitory towns for Dublin and other areas. The south-east and the Shannon basin seem to have the worst problem with sewage pollution in small rivers and streams. We should decrease the size of towns or villages in which good sewage treatment is installed. I hope money is given to encourage this as quickly as possible because, as the Minister of State will have seen from the Environmental Protection Agency report, serious pollution frequently takes place far upriver.

Is there any monitoring of the spread of slurry? I cannot be the only Senator who has seen slurry being spread in pouring rain. Is it monitored and are there any sanctions against the people who spread slurry at such times? It goes straight into the watercourses and, if the rainfall is bad enough, fish kills occur as a result. That is extremely sad considering the efforts made by the regional fisheries boards to improve fisheries. Nitrates are another major problem in groundwater and none of our sewerage schemes remove them from sewage. I may be wrong but I have not heard of any that do so. There is a need to remove phosphates and nitrates in sewerage schemes. We do not have enough respect for groundwater and it is important to remember that groundwater is important for the food processing industry in many places. Furthermore, we are not sufficiently careful about the siting of tanks for chemicals and hydrocarbons for petrol stations and such places. Recent legislation has been good in this regard and I am sure those installations being constructed at present are being properly installed. Nonetheless, one must wonder about the leachate from old plants which have existed for 30 or 40 years and whether a better effort should be made to deal with them.

The Minister of State did not mention it but the EPA report mentioned problems due to mining. Mining is on the increase and the Avoca River is the worst affected in the country. Nothing can grow beside it and the water is crystal clear despite the copper and iron mining. A disastrous decision was taken to put rubbish into the mine and that meant there was no control over what came out. Those who promote such action in the Silvermines area have not examined the situation carefully enough. I have listened to those who say waste can be managed by placing huge plastic liners around major dumps, but I would be sceptical about that. It is a huge risk to take with our water quality by placing dumps in areas where the leachate could affect the aquifers.

The Minister of State mentioned the eutrophication of lakes and rivers. It is a great pity that some of those affected are very important for tourism, such as loughs Leane and Sheelin, and that despite huge efforts from local authorities, eutrophication recurs, especially as a result of agriculture. Greater education and much stricter controls are needed if prolonged success is to be achieved in this respect. The Minister of State said Lough Derg is improving and I am glad to hear that because Lough Ree is in a bad state. One amusing aspect is the fact that the infestation of zebra mussels has assisted in tackling the eutrophication of loughs Ree and Derg because the mussels eat the algae. However, we do not know what they will do next. They may jump out of the water and bite us around the ankles, so I do not encourage people to put zebra mussels into the lakes of Ireland where they were not known before. The Minister of State said the canals are in remarkably good shape, but we must be careful that the pollution of feeder streams does not cause trouble for them.

It is appalling to witness the fish kills which take place during summer during hot weather when the water level is lower. It must be soul destroying for those who make such huge efforts in promoting the sport of angling in the areas where the kills occur. I understand the position with salmon has improved enormously in some rivers due to the curtailment of drift-netting. I would like to think we could reach a position where the fish stocks in our rivers improved.

I agree with Senator Coogan that we must be concerned about the flavour and appearance of our water. I do not remember which department it was in the Dublin Institute of Technology but someone there produced a splendid little device for measuring the turbulence within water, which shows how much organic matter is present in it. Perhaps some of these devices could be purchased by the Minister of State's Department to allow for greater monitoring. It would be well worthwhile. I also agree with Senator Coogan that the amount of bottled water drunk in this country is astonishing. That said, I have been able to go back to tap water in the notorious Dublin 4 because the taste has improved. At one stage it tasted of nothing but TCP, but the flavour at present is much better. As a doctor, I must advise people that it is a good idea to have the contents of bottled waters inspected. In some cases, as regards pollutants, one would be better off drinking tap water. Our public supply has been very good from the point of view of cleanliness. It is just that, as Senator Coogan said, the taste and the colour are occasionally off-putting.

I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Dan Wallace, to the House and the legislation which he and the Minister, Deputy Dempsey, have put through since taking office. They must be complimented on the work they are doing.

While many people are critical of the quality of water, we have come a long way over the past 40 to 45 years. It is not too long ago that people in rural areas had no water facilities and people in towns and villages had only the use of the village pump. We are in the process of changing the lead pipes which run through towns and villages to upgrade the quality of water. People are entitled to good clean drinking water and it is something for which we were always highly recommended. From a tourism viewpoint, people value Ireland's beauty and the cleanliness of our lakes and rivers and that is an image we must uphold.

Recently there were water problems in Killarney but the local authority immediately removed the algae from the system and it is working successfully. I welcome the Government's injection of substantial amounts of money in purification and treatment systems. When the economy was crippled in the mid-1980s we sought money for various projects without success. With the growth in the economy money should be put to good use. For example, it should be put into our infrastructure, sewerage and water treatment plants. I welcome the Government's announcement regarding the allocation of large sums of money, particularly the £440 million in the national development plan for the upgrading and renewal of rural water schemes. It will be welcomed by many others also. I compliment the Minister and the Government for highlighting rather than hiding the problem and for tackling it.

Mention was made of bathing and other waters and rightly so. The quality of these waters must be examined. Children should be cherished and we must ensure that our rivers and lakes are safe for bathing. I was pleased to learn that our rivers and lakes are 100% safe and other bathing waters are 98% safe. This is a huge achievement. Senator Walsh mentioned the recent announcement of the loss of blue flag status. Naturally, a debate was called for on this issue by the Opposition. They will try to blame the Government but it turns out that the local authority was responsible for the loss of blue flags, particularly in counties Wexford and Louth. I am proud to say Kerry got 13 blue flags this year and our beaches are top class. Anybody who wishes to visit Kerry during the summer and use our bathing facilities is more than welcome. I compliment my local authority on the way it monitored the blue flag beaches. It informed us recently that there must be ongoing monitoring every two months or so. The reason blue flags were lost was that local authorities did not see that through. This was due to a breakdown in administration, not to the poor quality of water. We should try to get more blue flags as that status is something which people want.

I commend the Government's determination to resolve the problem of poor quality drinking water in group schemes and to ensure people can enjoy clean, uncontaminated drinking water. I welcome the introduction of increased grants for such schemes. Mention was made earlier of the fact that it is the norm to order a bottle of drinking water with a meal, something that was not done in the past. There is a rural group water scheme in my area of Kerry from which half of north Kerry appears to take water because it is suppose to be champagne water. Any time I go to a hostelry I look for it as it is special water. Such schemes should be in operation.

I welcome the Government's initiative to tackle the problems. Money is available, and rightly so, to upgrade our sewerage and treatment plants. We should try to make our drinking water 100% clean.

I welcome the Minister of State to the House. I recognise his efforts and those of his counterparts in Government regarding the investment in water schemes and the commitment in the national development plan to improve rural and major water and sewerage schemes. Without reiterating what has been said, it is important to say water is a fundamental need. I agree with the concept that we are above comparisons with Europe because our population is low. We are an island surrounded by water and we have a responsibility for monitoring and working with what we have. Any deterioration in an island with a population of 4.5 million needs to be corrected. It should be a great challenge for us because it is one of our prime structures.

I recently met the Chinese ambassador to Ireland. It was interesting to note that she asked about the west of Ireland, rural development, the quality of water and the environment. I said that she must have major challenges in setting out policy. She inquired as to the population of the west of Ireland and I told her it would be in the region of 750,000 to one million people. I asked what would be the population of the west of China and she said that policy is being made for 300 million people. The scale of what must be done and our challenge is not enormous but it is fundamentally important.

In my recent visit to Tipperary during the by-election I looked at the quality of the rivers in Clonmel and I was interested that there were some trout there. There is a need for a high level of education, legislation and good example. We have some fine quality waters. If one looks at the present agricultural practices one will realise the amount of investment which has been put into this area. We understand the challenge which exists. One of the major challenges is to have an integrated policy and sustainable planning of social, economic and environmental practice. That should be the fundamental principle of attacking and approaching this practice, particularly under the Agenda 21 policy of local authorities. Local authorities have not played a strong enough role in the past but I think they are ready to do so now. I welcome the Minister's statement that he will make a major announcement regarding nitrates and that he will identify the areas which need specific management under catchment management plans in the water framework directive, that they will be specifically named, set out and that structures will be put in place to deal with and manage these areas. If we do that we can make a genuine input into maintaining the quality of property there.

The recent initiative by the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development regarding the types of payments for farmers in disadvantaged areas in particular is to be welcomed. Paying on an acreage rather than a headage basis is an investment in the future environment of this country. It will reduce the numbers involved, which is very important. We have found that the quality of water in some of the finest areas of rural Ireland has deteriorated and is polluted with e-coli and other bacteria. The changes being negotiated are fundamental to the long-term improvement of water quality in our lakes and rivers.

Substantial legislation and directives are being introduced in this area at global and European level. We must challenge this issue at local level. I welcome the Minister's indications of further decision-making in that regard. In my opinion, the Environmental Protection Agency has done very little up to now. Local authorities have breached many laws in relation to landfill dumps, contamination of public water supplies etc. There have been no subsequent prosecutions and we must face up to such problems. It will cost a great deal of money but it will be an investment in our future. Everybody must share the responsibility. With a population of only 4.5 million people it should not present a major challenge. The resources are available and such an investment will prove itself in the long term. Local authorities are strong enough to meet the challenges and changes required in some agricultural practices. We must all play our part. I welcome the Minister's strong interest in this matter.

When is it proposed to sit again?

At 10.30 a.m. on Wednesday, 21 June 2000.