merrion street

Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Darragh O’Brien, will convene a meeting with Irish Water management next week to discuss the recently published Environmental Protection Agency report.

Minister O’Brien said, “In my first week of office I have already met with Department officials on this programme of work. I understand the challenges the utility faces and I recognise the hard work they are doing to address these.

Ensuring provision of safe drinking water is a priority for the Government and the report shows that our water supplies are safe.  Over 99 % of water samples comply with safety limits, and there has been a further reduction in the number of supplies on the EPA’s remedial action list.

I acknowledge the risks and challenges which remain and Irish Water has also said that “much more remains to be done”

The Programme for Government sets out clear and ambitious commitments to ensure that Irish Water accelerates the resolution of schemes on the EPA’s Remedial Action List; that lead pipe is removed from water supplies, that the formation of trihalomethanes (THMs) is minimised, and that Irish Water integrates the Drinking Water Safety Plan approach in order to fully protect our water supplies and to direct investment to priority areas.

I will be meeting with Irish Water management next week to discuss the delivery of these goals,

he concluded.