Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 12 March 2014
5. Deputy Luke 'Ming' Flanagan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will ask Roscommon County Council to provide bottled water for the residents of the county as compensation for not being able to drink the council's supply for which the public pays through direct taxation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12211/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraI wish to know whether the Department will provide money to Roscommon County Council to provide free bottled water for people already paying through the general taxation system for their water.
The matter raised in the question is an operational matter in relation to the provision of water services. Since 1 January 2014 Irish Water has statutory responsibility for all aspects of water services planning, delivery and operation at national, regional and local levels. The Arigna, Boyle-Ardcarne, Roscommon central and south Roscommon regional water supply schemes were included as water treatment plant upgrade contracts to start and a network contract at construction in my Department’s water services investment programme 2010–13.
In March 2013, I approved the council’s contract documents for the water treatment plant upgrades for the Arigna, Boyle-Ardcarne, Roscommon central and south Roscommon regional water supply scheme after many years of Roscommon County Council waiting for this. Early in November 2013, I approved the commitment of the necessary capital funding of just over €12 million for the scheme to enable Roscommon County Council complete the contract formalities with the successful tenderer and to commence, as soon as possible, the works involved in the design build operate contract on the scheme.
In December 2013, I also approved the provision of funding of €3.976 million to allow Roscommon County Council to complete the tender formalities to commence the network contract on the Boyle-Ardcarne and Arigna regional water supply scheme. This approval of funding provides for the construction of five treatment plants and other ancillary works on the scheme and will also provide treatment works for areas badly affected by recent boil water notices in Roscommon.
I thank the Minister. In the meantime, while people are waiting for all this to happen, I ask the Minister to provide funding to the council, or whoever he wants, to get water to people in my county. It is unsustainable for people who are already put to the pin of their collar to have to spend €500 to €600 a year on water. The Minister might think that is excessive but when one has four and five year old children having to pour bottled water on toothbrushes before they use them, the water goes quickly, no matter what regime one puts in place. The idea that one has to put a regime in place in the first case, that one has to stand over one's children to ensure they do not poison themselves with what is coming out of the tap, is a major problem.
I appreciate the Minister cannot solve everything overnight and he is trying to do something but as things stand, we cannot drink the water. We pay for it through general taxation and we deserve something for what we pay. Mr. Jerry Grant, from Irish Water, said at a conference in Athlone he would guarantee that by the end of this year there would be no boil notice anywhere in County Roscommon.
Approximately 19,000 people are affected by the legitimate complaints people have about water quality in Roscommon. These have been serious matters for many years and nothing was done about it.
I agree.
I have initiated action and got the necessary contracts in place. I am told the Boyle-Ardcarne scheme will be finished by the end of this year and the Killeglan scheme will be finished early next year. These will resolve 64% of the problems in the area which is under a boil water notice. I advise the Deputy - and I will do the same - to make a submission to the regulator to take account of the issues he raised regarding boil water notices. The €500 or €600 people have to privately spend, which they should not have to, is a lot of money for any family. I intend to ensure they will get a cheaper amount of good-quality water through the local government system and Irish Water when charging comes into play on 1 January 2015. In the meantime we will make a submission to articulate the financial and water-quality issues here in the context of the charging mechanisms that will be brought in for the remainder of the people who, unfortunately, will not be able to get quality water for a little longer.
I repeat, in the meantime they have to buy this water, so can something be done for them? They do it in other countries where there is a problem with water. They did it in Galway when the water was polluted there. People were given water, but they are not being given it in County Roscommon. I am reluctant to say the water is so bad because it puts people off coming but, at the same time, we must bring this to a head. The Government has a long-term plan, credit where credit is due, but in the short term, having to go to the local supermarket to buy five litre bottle after five litre bottle, people are choosing between buying good quality food, heating their house or getting water. The heat is not being put on because water is the priority. That is unacceptable.
The Deputy has outlined the precise reasons why we are reforming the water sector, to ensure we have quantity and quality of water in the future. We have a very rickety system due to historic under-investment. That is why we must establish a new way of doing things, to deal with the issues the Deputy rightly points out. I will examine the issues he raised and speak to Irish Water about the issues that arose in Galway and see how we can replicate them in Roscommon.
