Jennifer Murnane O'Connor (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

There have been so many leakages over the years because our pipes are so old. Funding is an issue. There have always been leakages but we appear to have more now than ever before. Due to a lack of funding, leakages in estates and so on are not being addressed and this is holding up completion of road projects in those estates. As Mr. Grant will be aware, if a problem arises with a pipeline Monday to Friday the contact is the local authority but when it comes to problems arising at the weekend the contact is Irish Water. While we are making progress there is still a lot of confusion around what are the responsibilities of local authorities versus Irish Water. I accept it will take time to clarify this situation. The concerns of the SLA need to be addressed. Mr. Grant stated that it may not remain in place for the full 12 years. It is important people are kept informed about the long-term picture in that regard.