Councils blamed for water problems

THE Department of the Environment has assigned blame for prolonged pollution problems in drinking water supplies to local authorities for failing to take priority actions.

Secretary general of the Department Geraldine Tallon, said it was up to county councils to move schemes forward once funding had been approved.

She was responding to questioning from Fine Gael deputy Padraic McCormack, who said the department should have cracked down on Galway City Council for leaving parts of the city around Terryland without safe water.