Richard O'Donoghue (Limerick County, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I am from Limerick. I have a construction background, having worked in the sector all my life. I also have a farming background as I grew up on a farm. Dr. Ryan highlighted four main issues. He may have heard from my previous contributions, including in the Dáil, that I go into the local authorities when it comes to pollution. Before I was elected a Deputy, I sat on the council representing the Adare-Rathkeale district for six years. The EPA was mentioned with reference to the number of times it has visited the water treatment plant at Askeaton, on which no action has been taken. People have been waiting for an upgrade of the sewerage system for 33 years. It is a three-bed system which has not been used in a number of years. Irish Water fixed man-holes and pipeworks at the site last year but the problem is that the sewerage goes directly to the Shannon.

In Dromcolliher, the biggest polluter in the River Deel is the local authority. If I jump across to the River Loobagh, the biggest polluter there is the local authority. When I went around County Limerick, I saw that Oola was operating at capacity. Irish Water has stated it will upgrade the existing systems but will not allow for any extra capacity. That has been going on for years.

In Hospital, where 26 new houses were built, there was capacity for only 21 houses so five were connected to a treatment system on a site, while the others were connected to a system that came up directly through the streets.

In Kilbehenny, Irish Water took over a system that only had three houses connected to it. However, it did not even know that 27 houses were connected directly to a system that was going into the rivers.

I am disappointed treatment systems are last on the EPA's list because local authorities and the treatment systems in the area are number one for us in Limerick. They have not received investment for many years. It is going on for decades and it is causing a problem for the EPA. Irish Water has taken responsibility for water and sewerage in Limerick but 70 people employed by the county council are looking after this for Irish Water. Many of these treatment and water systems do not have caretakers. The information the EPA gets is from someone taking a sample now and then, but there is no proper caretaker. I am in favour of what needs to be done and I see the vision the EPA has set out, but unless we tackle the biggest polluter in this country, our local authorities, we are not going anywhere.

The first sectors Dr. Ryan mentioned were farming and forestry. I have a big problem with that. Yes, problems may exist within farming but the sector is doing its bit. The local authorities and Departments are not doing their bit and they are last on the EPA's list.

The HSE has to issue boil water notices for public safety. There is no doubt about it. Luckily, after being lobbied here, Irish Water lifted a boil water notice after two years in Fedamore. The water notice was needed for water safety but it was in place for two years. People had to buy bottled water so they could have a cup of tea, give the children dilute orange or whatever.

While I understand the process, I do not understand the process for coming up with the four issues. I have been on the road since I was 15 years old and I have been self-employed since I was 21. I am in the construction industry so I understand this. I understand the treatment systems but I also understand what happens if the existing treatment systems are not maintained. They are not being maintained at the moment because the council has stopped maintaining them because it is waiting for Irish Water to take over the running of them. By leaving them for years, it is creating a problem for the EPA to try to fix. Making the council fix these issues is a big problem. How many treatment systems in Limerick are not properly functional and how many systems in Limerick city and county are causing serious problems? Massive investment is needed now for the protection of people in this area. I ask Dr. Ryan to respond.