With the permission of the House, I should like to share my time with Deputy Michael Kitt.
I am grateful for the opportunity to highlight the water crisis in my constituency at Laurencetown near Ballinasloe where there has been a group water scheme in operation serving the Laurencetown, Eyrecourt, Fahy, Esker, Meelick and adjoining areas but whose source has been polluted for many years. This causes a major problem each year from May to October when no water is available to local people who have no option but to travel some miles to avail themselves of water for normal human usage for the purposes of showers, baths etc.
The position is so bad that, at a public meeting attended by approximately 300 people on Friday last — attended by Deputy Michael Kitt, me and others — the local priest said he could not risk using the water even to baptise children. The local school, with four teachers and a large number of pupils, has also encountered many problems.
This scheme serves approximately 175 houses and 200 farms. Some people have to purchase water where it is available or use polluted water which is not fit for human consumption or personal use and can be used only to flush toilets and for various outdoor tasks.
For the past ten years we have been endeavouring to have this matter resolved. The scheme is known as the Laurencetown-Eyrecourt group water scheme. From 1993 onwards stringent efforts were undertaken by the local community group to secure an alternative connection. We were informed by the Department categorically in September/October 1993 and again in January 1994, orally and in writing, that until progress had been made on the Ballinasloe regional scheme, nothing could be done in respect of the Laurencetown-Eyrecourt one. Phase one of the Ballinasloe regional water supply scheme was sanctioned, serving the parish of Clontuskert right up to the border of the parish of Laurencetown.
For the past year we have been seeking an urgent, temporary, whole-time connection from the Ballinasloe regional scheme at Lismanny on the borders of Clontuskert and Laurencetown at a cost of £205,000. We were assured by the Department of the Environment last autumn that it would be included in the 1997 Estimates and were absolutely astounded by the Government decision to abolish water charges and vest total responsibility for group water schemes in the local authority. We had meetings with Galway County Council yesterday and were informed they had not the requisite funds to resolve this water crisis.
We want a firm commitment from the Minister that this money will be made available forthwith, bearing in mind the buoyancy of our economy and the crisis this represents for these people.
