Paddy Burke (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome our guests from Kenya as well and I hope they have a very successful trip to Ireland.

I will join with the Cathaoirleach and other Members in proposing a vote of sympathy to the late Michael D'Arcy Snr., who was a former Member of this House and the Dáil, a Minister of State, and a county and town councillor. He had a distinguished political career over a very long period. I fought a Seanad election with him on the agricultural panel back in 1993. We shared an office afterwards and he was a pleasure to work with. I extend my sympathy to his wife Marie and to his family, including Michael Jnr., who was a Member of this House as well, and to his siblings. I know we will have another day here regarding that.

I will raise the issue of the extension of sewerage schemes and small water schemes. I would like to know the criteria used when evaluating how an extension should be granted or a small scheme should be progressed because I am not clear on how it actually works. The Leader will be well-acquainted with the one in Breaffy outside Castlebar, County Mayo. The locals are looking for an extension to the scheme that was put in place by the then Minister for the environment, Phil Hogan, in 2013 or 2014.There are a number of houses and hotels, such as Breaffy House Hotel and its sister hotel, in that area. The scheme there has only been in place since 2016, or whatever year it was. People in the area are looking for an extension and one wonders how that can be progressed. Who progresses it? The local authority does not seem to have any function. We, as Members of the Oireachtas, do not seem to have any say in proposing the extension to a scheme. I would like a debate in his House about how we can progress schemes that are badly needed in areas such as Breaffy, outside Castlebar.