Madam, - The current widespread public concern about water quality in Ireland could have been dealt with years ago by a competent government.
The latest EU Commission report on implementation of the 15-year-old urban waste water directive reveals that 13 of the 26 large towns in Ireland discharging sewage into areas designated as "sensitive" under the directive did not have the improved treatment required by the directive.
Sensitive areas arise where the oxygen content of a body of water is, or is in danger of, being depleted by organic nutrients, causing excessive plant growth and decay and a severe reduction in water quality. In the Commission's view six additional areas, including Dublin Bay and Cork harbour, should also have been designated as sensitive by the Government.
Last July, the Commission referred Ireland to the European Court of Justice over the Government's failure to ensure proper sewage treatment at Bray, Shanganagh, Howth, Letterkenny, Sligo and Tramore. Under the directive, these towns should have been provided with "secondary" treatment seven years ago and the Commission is now preparing legal action over the Government's failure to ensure proper treatment in relation to a raft of other smaller towns across Ireland.
Between 2000 and 2002, while attempting to defend its appalling record on polluted drinking water before the European Court of Justice, the Government actually argued that the quality standards set down in the 1980 drinking water directive did not apply to group water schemes, which supply drinking water to thousands of homes. The ECJ rightly rejected this argument and in November 2002 found Ireland to be in general breach of the legal obligation to provide Irish people, including those supplied by group schemes, with clean drinking water.
On March 22nd this year, the Commission indicated it was now sending a final warning to the Government over its failure to comply with this ruling. The next step is for the ECJ to impose fines on Irish taxpayers for the Government's failures to provide them with clean water.
In the interests of our health, it is time this incompetence was brought to an end. - Yours, etc,
PROINSIAS DE ROSSA MEP, Labour European Office, Dublin 1.