Denis Naughten (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fine Gael)

In 2006 the Government announced the launch of a €70 million water investment programme in County Roscommon. The then Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Deputy Roche, said at the time that the go ahead had been given for "some of the biggest infrastructural packages ever undertaken in the county". We are still waiting for even one glass of water to be produced from that investment programme.

The north-east Roscommon regional water supply was shut down due to industrial contamination. Users of the Arigna water scheme find that what is coming out of their taps can only be described as treacle. There are ongoing problems in regard to quality and quantity at the Boyle-Ardcarn water scheme. The Roscommon central water supply has had problems with cryptosporidium contamination in the past which are likely to recur. When users of the south Roscommon regional water supply turn on their taps they find something that is more like strong tea than what should be produced by a public water supply. There are serious ongoing water supply problems under that scheme. In excess of 27,000 people throughout County Roscommon are without a reliable, high quality water supply, not even taking into account the west Roscommon regional water supply which is not even included in the investment programme and where there are significant problems of quality and quantity.

This lack of water capacity is having a direct impact on residential, commercial and tourism needs and will continue to do so into the future. There is a lack of joined-up thinking in this regard. A Forfás report in September 2008 which assessed water and waste water services for enterprise in the gateway towns and hubs indicated that by 2013 Athlone would have a 39% deficit in water treatment and a 35% deficit in waster water treatment. Forfás did not look across the Shannon at County Roscommon, being of the view that the only source of water for Athlone was in County Westmeath. If the report authors had bothered to look further afield they would have found two excellent water sources in Killeglin and Lisbrock. If the investment were provided those facilities could meet the needs not only of south Roscommon but also of Athlone. In regard to waste water, a small investment would allow the Monksland treatment centre to provide significant additional capacity. That option was not considered because of the lack of joined-up thinking.

When Roscommon County Council submitted applications for augmentation to supply the town of Athlone and to upgrade the north-eastern regional water supply to allow it to connect in with Longford, those applications were rejected by the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government. In the south Roscommon regional water supply some of the pipe work has been installed and some of the reservoirs built, but they are lying idle. As the Minister of State, Deputy Finneran, knows, having announced the investment in the Creagh sewerage scheme, those pipes have been laid. Two young couples have connected to the scheme but cannot flush a toilet because the treatment plant has not been built. I urge the Minister of State to deliver on his commitment in regard to that scheme and the other sewerage schemes and water supply schemes that were announced but not delivered.

See this speech in context