It is interesting that our President is currently being escorted on her tour of South Africa by a very good friend of Ireland's, Professor Kadar Asmal, who holds the portfolio of Water Affairs in the South African Government. In establishing a separate Cabinet position to deal with issues relating to water supply, South Africa has given full recognition to the importance of water.
A clean and reliable water supply is not simply a matter of convenience. It is central to public health. That basic fact applies in Ireland as much as it does in South Africa. Our citizens do not have to rely on water of questionable quality obtained as in South Africa, from a standpipe in the street or, in the more rural parts, from a cattle watering hole. Most Irish homes have adequate indoor sanitation. I know the provision of bathrooms to local authority houses which do not currently have them is a priority of my colleague in Democratic Left, Deputy McManus.
Nevertheless, tens of thousands of Irish homes, including many in my constituency of Dublin South-Central, do not have an adequate and reliable water supply. The seeming inability of Dublin Corporation to maintain a constant water supply to large parts of Dublin constitutes a health hazard for many residents. There is an urgent need to implement the recommendation in the Greater Dublin Development Plan relating to water supply and to implement the recommendations of the water strategy study which was completed last year.
Large areas of the south city, including Terenure where I live, Drimnagh, Crumlin, Walkinstown, Harold's Cross, Kimmage, the South Circular Road area and The Tenters are regularly affected by a cut-off of water supply due to the practice known as "throttling", which involves water pressure being turned so low as to be effectively non-existent. The lack of a reliable water supply constitutes a potential health hazard and is especially inconvenient for families with small children.
It is essential that the Minister for the Environment make the resources available to Dublin Corporation to enable the relevant sections of the Greater Dublin Development Plan and the water strategy study to be implemented so as to ensure a constant and reliable water supply. I hope he will take these concerns on board and act without further delay.
Water pressure is not the only problem facing many of my constituents. Residents in the older parts of the city share a water supply with one and often two neighbours. In some cases water supply is effectively diminished because of substandard, outdated lead piping and inadequate internal plumbing. Residents are often unable to meet the costs of rectifying these shortcomings and I therefore urge the Minister to establish a grants scheme designed to help them meet costs.
If there are schemes for rural electrification, surely schemes can be conceived to target parts of my constituency, particularly those with an old housing stock which is costly to upgrade. A grants scheme would allow people to take in a fresh water supply from the corporation main pipe to the stopcock and beyond. I encourage the Minister of State to urge the Minister for the Environment to introduce a grant aided scheme for many constituents of mine who are plagued by water shortages.
